Doubling Down on Decarbonization

Progress on multiple fronts continues towards decarbonization goals for 2030 and beyond.

Most building industry professionals are aware of the facts: 40% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from buildings and homes, along with 40% of all energy use and 70% of electricity use. Taking action to decarbonize construction and building operations can bring everyone closer to the goals of reducing emissions by half by 2030 and to net zero by 2050.

Unfortunately, just 1% of existing buildings meet net zero standards today. Fortunately, more companies and building industry leaders embrace the mission to decarbonize. The reasons for the shift are clear: 2023 was the hottest year on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and 2024 is on track to break that record again. More frequent and more intense storms are among the most visible impacts of climate change.

Customers and investors alike demand sustainability strategies from participants in the building sector. More than 77% of people in younger generations are frightened of the future, according to a Green Builder Media COGNITION Smart Data survey. Investors, lenders, supply chain partners and municipalities demand that companies do more to decarbonize.

At DuPont, the company manages its carbon at both the portfolio and the product level by tracking metrics and looking for decarbonization opportunities that include developing low carbon processes and renewable energy options.

“The product level is really where the magic starts to happen,” says Shawn Hunter, global sustainability director, DuPont Performance Building Solutions. “The magic happens when you find the market opportunity for something your customers want. What we're seeing right now is a lot of attention towards risk management in terms of climate change and sustainability.”

Not only are there continually increasing societal expectations for climate action and greenhouse gas reductions, but publicly traded builders now need to disclose carbon information, Hunter points out.

“SEC rules aside, more and more investors are looking at sustainability and emissions as part of their risk evaluations,” Hunter says. “We see more builders starting to quantify their carbon emissions so they can answer these questions.”

Some builders look at decarbonization strategically, similar to how they looked at energy efficiency, Hunter says.

“Some of them are already going above the code on energy efficiency to put themselves in a position to be successful, especially as codes evolve,” he says. “I expect this is how demand for decarbonization will trickle in.”

Builders are already seeing demand rise for sustainability in homes.

While 75% to 80% of millennial and Gen Z consumers said they would pay extra for sustainability upgrades for energy efficiency, electrification, healthy homes, resiliency, water conservation, smart homes, and solar and storage, building industry professionals also said high percentages of their clients would pay for these upgrades, too.

The idea of affordability for many consumers today is based on the long-term operations of a home as much as the initial cost.

Source: COGNITION Smart Data

DuPont and Decarbonization

DuPont’s initial commitment to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) included a target to achieve a 50% reduction in Scope 1 (direct emissions controlled by the company) and Scope 2 (indirect emissions from the purchase of steam, electricity, heating and cooling) emissions by 2030. In addition, DuPont committed to achieve a 25% reduction in Scope 3 (other emissions such as from product use, disposal and vendors) emissions by that date.

In 2023, DuPont achieved 58% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from a 2019 baseline, and 39% reduction in Scope 3 emissions from a 2020 baseline. In addition, 60% of the company’s electricity for operations was sourced from renewable energy.

DuPont’s Scope 3 goal was specifically focused on emissions from the purchase of raw materials (Scope 3 Category 1) and emissions from product end of life (Scope 3 Category 12).

“We exceeded our SBTi-validated greenhouse gas targets seven years early,” Hunter says. “So, we’ve increased our ambition even further by announcing our commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050, and we’re working with SBTi to set our specific targets in accordance with their Net-Zero Standard.”

Among the many steps DuPont took to make progress on their goals, one contributor was to eliminate coal combustion across its operations for steam production in 2022. Another was to reformulate their Styrofoam™ insulation product to reduce embodied carbon by 94%, Hunter says.

More details of how they made headway with these goals are outlined in their 2024 Shelter Solutions Sustainability Progress Update

Builder Demand for Decarbonization Tools

Hunter says that DuPont has seen a significant change in the last few years among both large and small residential builders who are now focused on reducing their carbon footprint.

“At first, a lot of builders didn’t know where to start, so they would mention things like trying to reduce the number of trucks they use at their building sites, which can have some impact but may not be the biggest lever that they can pull on carbon,” Hunter says. “Now leading builders have completed LCA studies and are well-versed in embodied carbon and EPDs, and we’re hearing from more of our customers that they want to know what we can do to help them reduce their emissions.”

DuPont has invested in obtaining environmental product declarations (EPDs) for many of its products, which are third-party reviewed, and present embodied carbon and other product-specific information derived from conducting lifecycle assessment (LCA) on the product.

LCA evaluates the potential environmental impact of a product at every stage of the product life cycle, from natural resource extraction and processing, to production of the product or material, to use, and to end of life.

“More builders are asking for EPDs and LCA’s of our products,” Hunter said. “It takes effort to get an EPD, but EPDs offer a standardized way to share information with our customers and builders. We plan to get more EPDs on our products because they allow us to communicate where and how we’ve made progress.”

Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Smart Data surveys found that builders rely on EPDs to understand the roadmap of the products they use, to meet regulatory requirements, consumer demand for sustainability and their own sustainability goals. Hunter anticipates that more demand will come for EPDs as more building industry professionals learn about them.

 

Source: COGNITION Smart Data

Growing Consumer Demand for Sustainability

Between 50% and 60% of builders report increased demand from their customers for energy efficient insulation, energy efficient windows and doors, and energy efficient lighting.

Source: COGNITION Smart Data

DuPont’s Styrofoam™ Brand XPS Insulation- the recipient of the American Chemistry Council 2024 Heroes of Chemistry Award- was reformulated to deliver a 94% reduction in embodied carbon. In addition, Dupont’s new Great Stuff™ Wide Spray, a one-component foam sealant that expands up to one-inch provides a durable, weather resistant seal that covers larger gaps.

Future Progress Towards Decarbonization

As more builders set their decarbonization targets, more tools are on the way to help them achieve their goals. For example, carbon offsets can be purchased that pay for investments into projects that reduce emissions such as landfill gas capture and renewable energy. One carbon offset equates to one ton of carbon removed from the atmosphere.

To get to net zero emissions by 2050, builders must start measuring their carbon emissions, which can be complex.

“One of the things that’s under review now is RESNET 1500, which is a standard that will provide a consistent methodology to calculate the embodied carbon of a home using information that's already being collected for the Home Energy Rating System,” Hunter says.

The first step to get to a net zero carbon home, Hunter says, is a highly efficient envelope.

“We'll keep innovating and helping the market get more and more efficient,” Hunter says. “The second step towards net zero is embodied carbon. So, we’ll keep looking for processes and product innovation opportunities, especially going back to sourcing our raw materials and to supplier engagement in this issue. Our mindset is that we know we need to continue applying building science and to innovate as if our future depends on it, because we truly believe that it does.”