One of Metro's desired outcomes is leadership on climate change. One way of doing this is by choosing materials for our facilities that have the lowest possible contribution to climate change. These low carbon materials are an important part of the Sustainable Buildings and Sites Policy.
What are low carbon materials?
Low carbon materials include materials with lower carbon emissions compared to a baseline. This includes renewable, salvaged, refurbished and recycled materials, materials that travel shorter distances, materials that include natural components and materials that don't require adhesives. Examples of low carbon materials include: salvaged wood, cross laminated timber, recycled steel, low carbon concrete mixes, wool, cellulose or mineral fiber insulation, carpet tiles, recycled and low volatile organic compound paint and biochar.
Metro low carbon materials requirements
All Metro facility projects must:
Beyond these broad requirements, new construction and major building renovations projects must achieve Core Green Building Certification. The Core certification requires projects to demonstrate a 20% reduction in the embodied carbon of primary materials, which includes materials chosen for the structure, foundation and enclosure of a building. These materials typically include concrete, steel, wood, roofing, cladding, glass and insulation.
To learn more about Metro's low carbon materials requirements, see Appendix B of the policy.
Helpful resources
To learn more about low carbon materials, the following resources include tools, data and tips: