Embodied Carbon Tracking: How to Get Started with Matrak

The global economy is set for a major shift as sustainability and climate management goals become more closely tied to business decision-making. This shift is driven by new regulations regarding embodied carbon reporting. They come into effect for Australia (starting January 1st), California, and soon the EU and UK. 

New mandates hold corporate leaders personally accountable for publicly measuring and reporting not just direct emissions but also the emissions embedded in their supply chains.

For the construction industry, responsible for a staggering 40% of global emissions, that brings some unique challenges. Unlike retail, where long-term supplier relationships make it easier to collect data, construction projects often involve hundreds of suppliers and manufacturers globally. Each party contributes to a one-off build with a unique mix of materials and partners of their own.

As you can imagine the complexity of tracking embodied carbon is daunting, but it’s essential for future compliance and environmental stewardship.

Embodied carbon refers to the CO2 emissions arising from the manufacturing, transportation, installation, processing, and disposal of building and infrastructure materials.

Hence why builders and their partners are now being held accountable for the volume of emissions during the pre-construction and construction phases.

Embodied carbon differs from ‘Operational Carbon’ which – as the name suggests – is the sum of emissions that arise through operations across the life of a building.

It’s easy to see why tracking embodied carbon will be challenging for even the most astute organisations.

Take Lendlease, for example, who might contract out work to subcontractors who then hire other suppliers. The standard web of relationships may extend five or six layers deep. Then, consider that this network resets for each new project – further complicating efforts to gather consistent data. 

Manufacturers might not even have detailed carbon data; current tracking methods rely heavily on personalised, non-standardized spreadsheets that are often in different languages and formats.

Add to this the fact that supplier partnerships are treated as competitive IP – to prevent others from bypassing middlemen or establishing new relationships – and it’s clear why accurate tracking has been nearly impossible.

Lendlease and similar companies simply don’t have the resources to manually translate and analyse production data from overseas factories. And until now there hasn’t been much of a business case (or requirement) to invest in doing so.

Any viable solution must capture data from the source, integrate seamlessly with existing workflows, and provide consolidated reports for partners across the entire supply chain.

This is where Matrak steps in…

Matrak solves all the above problems (and more) by creating a materials tracking network that offers shared visibility into what’s been ordered, produced, shipped, installed, inspected, and completed.

Builders and developers gain clear, real-time insights into their supply chains without demanding significant change-management from suppliers. 

It provides a competitive advantage to every stakeholder and allows for true, collaborative project management that doesn’t lose sight of embodied carbon reduction goals.

Here’s how to get started:

Matrak is already widely used across global manufacturing hubs, including China, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The platform is cloud-first ensuring that companies can easily track products from anywhere in the world.

Suppliers and subcontractors can opt to use advanced features like QR code tracking and interactive construction drawings for improved project coordination. But, unlike many other ConTech platforms, Matrak does not force organisations to change their preferred ways of working.

Your partners can take a more straightforward approach by cc’ing Matrak on emails with production updates, packing lists, or shipping dockets. This flexibility is key to maintaining data integrity while ensuring that implementation is as frictionless as possible.

Matrak also allows construction suppliers to invite their own partners into the platform, creating a continuous chain of data visibility down to the original source manufacturer. That aforementioned 6 layer-deep web of relationships is managed autonomously and in real-time. 

Plus, permissions can be tailored so that each company only shares the necessary data for embodied carbon assessments. Sensitive business information is protected while ensuring that the data remains accurate and complete.

Embodied carbon tracking has never been simpler. Follow these steps to see how easy it is:

Include Matrak’s sample contract language (here) in your contracts’ Scope of Work, Reporting, and Compliance sections. This sets the stage for clear supplier participation and data-sharing expectations, ensuring that your project begins with everyone on the same page.

Sign up for a free Matrak account and create a new project. Select “Embodied Carbon” tracking and specify the trades you’d like to track. The process is intuitive and can be completed in just 2 minutes. Your project setup includes custom permissions to control who can view or edit specific data.

Want to make changes? That’s easy too – you can tailor the platform to your needs in a few clicks.

Add your suppliers and subcontractors to the project with tailored permissions. Each invite grants them free access to Matrak and the ability to submit product data such as weights, carbon estimates, and shipment details. 

Suppliers can also invite their own suppliers, expanding data visibility and ensuring comprehensive tracking across the supply chain.

Suppliers can start embodied carbon tracking with minimal effort by cc’ing Matrak on relevant emails containing production reports, packing lists, or shipping dockets. There’s no need to be tech-savvy or to hire specialists; information is captured and available immediately on the platform.

For those with carbon certificates like EPDs, uploading these is easy. If suppliers lack these documents, Matrak will calculate estimates using industry-standard benchmarks such as EC3 or the NABERS rating tool.

Matrak’s live reporting system keeps you updated on embodied carbon benchmarks as products move through the supply chain. Every entry is traceable and auditable, meeting rigorous compliance standards and offering real-time insights into production and logistics. 

Permissions ensure only relevant data is shared with your team to maintain confidentiality. Plus, every stakeholder can access the right information, at the right time, in the right place, and in the right format to make the most effective decisions.

Get a head start on the competition before the introduction of new regulations on January 1.

Matrak is simple, free to implement, and provides unrivalled transparency and compliance with embodied carbon reporting. By adopting Matrak, you’re not just ensuring regulatory compliance; you’re positioning your business as a leader in sustainable construction.

Take the 5-minute challenge and start your path to comprehensive, auditable carbon tracking today.