James Latham has announced the official launch of its new ‘Carbon Calculator’, a specification tool developed in partnership with the University of Bangor to help architects and designers better understand the sustainability of the materials they specify
The Carbon Calculator has been trialled amongst Lathams’ customers, to assist them in selecting the most suitable, sustainable option to meet their respective project requirements.
It is also giving specifiers essential assurance that the information they receive relating to a product’s carbon credentials is complete and accurate, from sourcing the raw materials to selection and delivery.
The Carbon Calculator is part of James Latham’s ongoing commitment toward sustainable construction and design, helping specifiers make more informed, lower-carbon choices.
What is the Carbon Calculator?
The Carbon Calculator is a back-end tool, designed to achieve transparency and give specifiers confidence when selecting for sustainability.
The calculator is built using official, publicly available data and manufacturer product information, and collates and aggregates the environmental impact of a chosen material, according to three criteria:
- Carbon Footprint: The level of carbon emitted during production and delivery
- Embodied Carbon: Carbon removed from the atmosphere and stored within the timber’s structure
- Data Confidence: Lathams’ confidence in the strength of the data used to enable the calculation of the first two criteria (e.g. provenance, integrity of detail)
The product has received a high confidence rating from 1-4. The lower the score, the higher the availability and quality of data points reviewed.
The final rating is then added to quotations, invoices, delivery notes, and other key documentation, delivering a tangible, codified proof point.
This ensures a robust audit trail for the product, providing valuable information for future carbon reporting and responding to sustainability briefs.
Visitors to Futurebuild (1-3 March 2022, ExCel London) will have the opportunity to find out more about the Carbon Calculator at James Lathams’ stand.
‘An exciting journey towards low-carbon specification’
Commenting on the official launch of the Carbon Calculator, Ewa Bazydlo, environmental manager at Lathams, said: “We feel that this is the latest milestone in an exciting journey towards low-carbon specification across the entire building, construction and design community.
“By providing a methodology through which the value of sustainability information and certification can be holistically appreciated, we’re increasing confidence amongst architects and designers that they are making the greenest choice possible, in line with the requirements of their project brief.”
‘A backend tool which adds tangible value to the material selection process’
She continued: “Working closely with academic institutions, market leading suppliers, designers and developers we’ve created a backend tool which adds tangible value to the material selection process.
“We look forward to engaging with the specification community at Futurebuild 2022 and over the coming year to bring this enhancement to life.”
