Embodied Carbon of the Structure: LEED v5
Cradle-to-gate (A1–A3) embodied carbon of concrete, rebar, steel and blocks from named EPDs: the total, kg CO₂e/m², the three hotspots LEED v5 MRp2 asks for, and lower-carbon alternatives.
Every LEED v5 BD+C project must meet the prerequisite MRp2, Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon, which asks for the cradle-to-gate (A1–A3) global warming potential of the structure, enclosure and hardscape, and for the three materials with the most embodied carbon with the strategies considered to reduce it. Enter each material's quantity; its GWP comes from a named EPD (the NRMCA ready-mixed concrete averages by strength and fly-ash or slag content, CRSI rebar, CISC sections, plate and HSS, CSSBI cold-formed steel, CMHA blocks, and Saudi and UAE product EPDs for rebar, plate and concrete) or from your own product's EPD typed over it. The page returns the total in t CO₂e and kg CO₂e per m², the three hotspots, a chart and a table by line, and the reduction an alternative mix or EPD gives on each line.
The building
Materials: quantity and EPD
One line per material and element. The GWP of each line comes from the EPD you pick; you can type the value of your own product’s EPD over it.
MRp2: the three largest sources
MRp2 asks the team to name the three materials with the most embodied carbon and the reduction strategies it considered for them. Lines of the same material are added here.
The page does not compute Reduce Embodied Carbon points (MRc2, up to 6): the thresholds of its EPD path are not published in a source it could read. The reduction of the alternatives is reported against the lines as specified.
A1–A3 by line
The industry averages in the list are North American (NRMCA, CRSI, CISC, CSSBI, CMHA) or Western European (bauforumstahl); the Saudi and UAE lines are product EPDs of the producer named. Any factor can be replaced by the value of your product’s EPD.
Line by line
| # | Element | Material and EPD | Quantity | GWP per unit | A1–A3 | Share | Alternative and its GWP | Alternative |
|---|
The EPDs behind these numbers
| EPD | Program operator | Type | Valid until | Status | Lines |
|---|
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Questions engineers ask
What does LEED v5 MRp2 ask for?
Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon asks for the cradle-to-gate (A1–A3) global warming potential of the structure, enclosure and hardscape materials, from product-specific EPDs where the team has them, and a summary of the three materials with the highest embodied carbon with the reduction strategies considered for them. It is a prerequisite: every LEED v5 BD+C project needs it. LEED v4.1 BD+C, which has no such prerequisite, stays open to new registrations until 30 June 2027, after USGBC extended the date by a year in May 2026. These points are taken from published commentaries (Green Badger, CaGBC, One Click LCA) because USGBC's own pages could not be read.
Which life-cycle stages are counted?
A1 raw material supply, A2 transport to the plant and A3 manufacturing, as each EPD declares them. Transport to site, construction, use and end of life are not counted, because MRp2 does not ask for them. A whole-building life-cycle assessment for MRc2 covers more stages and is a different calculation.
Industry averages or product EPDs, which should I use?
MRp2 prefers product-specific EPDs. The industry averages on this page are North American (NRMCA, CRSI, CISC, CSSBI, CMHA) or Western European (bauforumstahl); the Saudi and UAE entries are product EPDs of the producer named. The production route matters: the Saudi rebar EPDs read here give 0.90 t CO₂e per tonne for scrap-based electric arc furnace bar (Rajhi Steel) and 2.24 t for direct reduced iron (HADEED). Once your supplier is known, type the A1–A3 value of its EPD over the line.
Does the page give Reduce Embodied Carbon (MRc2) points?
No. The credit is worth up to 6 points, but the thresholds of its EPD-analysis path are not published in any source this page could read, and its whole-building path covers more than A1–A3. The page reports what an alternative mix or EPD saves against the lines as specified, in t CO₂e and in percent, which is the evidence the team works from.
How is my concrete strength matched to the NRMCA table?
NRMCA classifies each mix by its specified compressive strength in psi (0–2500, 2501–3000, 3001–4000, 4001–5000, 5001–6000 and 6001–8000 psi) shown with the exact MPa beside it (1 psi = 0.006 894 757 MPa). A C30 mix, fc′ = 30 MPa or 4 351 psi, falls in the 4001–5000 psi class. Above 55.2 MPa (8 000 psi) the EPD has no class: use your supplier's EPD.
How do I add enclosure or hardscape materials?
Add a line, choose ‘Other material: my own EPD’, pick the declared unit of that EPD (m³, t, kg, m², m or a unit) and type its A1–A3 GWP and your quantity. Name the line after the material (glass, aluminium, insulation, paving) and it is ranked for the hotspots under that name.
Does the page check that an EPD is still valid?
Yes. Each EPD's valid-until date is compared with today's date, and the result card says when one has passed it. The NRMCA concrete averages (EPD10294, version 3.2) are valid until 30 September 2026 in NSF's copy; the HADEED EPDs read here do not state their dates, and the page says so.
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