Amazon publishes carbon measurement guidance for warehouses

Amazon, in partnership with The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers and the Introba engineering consultancy, has issued guidance on measuring embodied carbon within warehouses and logistics buildings.

The guidance is titled “Embodied carbon in building services: A calculation methodology (TM65)”. Decisions on carbon reduction strategies need to be based on informed data and the guidance, for the first time, provides an understanding of how to accurately calculate embodied carbon in logistics buildings.

Embodied carbon measurements include energy greenhouse gas emission levels, the carbon impact of warehouse construction processes and emissions associated with warehouse equipment.

One way to reduce embodied carbon levels is for the warehouse equipment manufacturer to change production methods to those that emit less carbon such as using renewable energy sources and making equipment with green steel or recycled materials. Andy Stanton Introba’s UK and Europe head of sustainability said that the guidance is the:

“First step along the journey to quantifying the embodied carbon across various logistics building typologies, particularly material handling equipment.”

He recognises that demand for goods and services is growing which is why reducing carbon emissions is a priority.

Cristina Lago, deputy editor of Construction Management, also believes that equipment manufacturers can take the lead in carbon reduction by designing equipment that has a lower carbon footprint.

The guidance is aimed at all decision makers in the logistics industry including architects, warehouse owners, retailers, manufacturers, policy makers and engineers. The guidance empowers these stakeholders to make more informed decisions that align with sustainability goals.

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