Buy Clean
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About the Buy Clean Industry Alliance
The Buy Clean Industry Alliance is a coalition of industry associations, think tanks, and labour and environmental groups, with a common goal of advocating for a national Buy Clean strategy and net-zero construction materials sector.
LEADERSHIP
Jolene McLaughlin, EllisDon
Charles Ormsby, Arup
Reducing embodied carbon in construction has the potential to cut overall emissions in the building sector while catalyzing the production of low-carbon building materials—all while supporting local production and innovation. One of the most powerful ways of achieving this is through the use of Buy Clean policies—procurement design which requires and incentivizes the use of lower-carbon building materials, designs, and approaches in public construction projects.
Priorities
Centralization and mandating of data
Requiring the submission of data on embodied carbon in bids to RFPs, creating data standards and facilitating a centralized database.
Clarity on Buy Clean pathway
Set predictable, performance-based requirements throughout the supply chain, while leaving room for innovation and regional differences in ambition.
Lower risk, raise awareness
Provide funding for pilot projects and publicize the results, share best practices, and increase capacity of stakeholders to participate in dialogue.
FEATURED THINKING
Building Success: Implementing Effective Buy Clean Policies
Public infrastructure is responsible for eight million tonnes of embodied emissions annually, presenting a significant opportunity to reduce emissions and prepare the industrial and construction sectors for a net-zero future. The Buy Clean Industry Alliance and the Future of Infrastructure Group engaged stakeholders to provide insights and recommendations on a path forward.