The construction industry is to benefit from a new carbon calculator which will make it easier to assess the CO2 footprint of new developments.

The Building Materials Carbon Calculator has been developed by the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM) and is available to download for free from the company's website.

It is hoped that the new tool - the first of its kind - will encourage industry professionals to select products and materials which have less of a negative impact on the environment.

ECCM director Richard Tipper said that the calculator had been designed in response to repeated enquiries by industry members and was intended to "clear the haze surrounding calculating a building's materials footprint".

He noted that the calculator allows users to input the quantities of materials used for every aspect of a building and then issues a scientifically-backed emissions report for the development.

The building elements compared within the tool are foundations, external walls, roof, cladding, floors, insulation, internal walls, windows and doors.

Ambitious green targets have been set by the government to make all new homes zero carbon by 2016.

© Adfero Ltd

Author:  Joanne McCabe

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