Embodied carbon emissions in detached housing — Explainer
With the Australian Government aiming to build 800,000 new detached homes over the next five years, carbon emissions from construction and materials are set to increase significantly.
More than 119,000 detached houses were built in Australia in 2025. Alongside the rising cost of building these homes is another often overlooked cost: the carbon emissions generated before anyone moves in.
With the Australian Government aiming to deliver 800,000 new detached homes over the next five years, these emissions are set to increase significantly.
Known as embodied carbon, these emissions remain largely unaddressed in policy, building practices and regulation.
The good news is that practical, cost-effective solutions already exist. This explainer comes at a time when governments across the country are implementing policy towards expanding housing construction.
Now is the time to consider the associated carbon emissions and the ways to reduce them.
What is embodied carbon?
Building construction consumes around 50% of raw materials worldwide. The carbon emissions generated during the mining, processing, manufacturing, and transport of those materials — before a building is even occupied — are known as embodied carbon. Embodied carbon also covers emissions from building practices, maintenance, repair, renovation, replacement and eventual demolition over a building’s lifecycle, but excludes the energy used to operate the building while occupied.
Two key recommendations
- In setting greenhouse gas reduction targets, Australia has to recognise the impact of embodied energy in new detachable housing.
- Australia should work to increase awareness of this source of emissions, and the alternatives, among the general public and the construction industry.
