“We have limited time to reverse climate change,” Brad Benke, a researcher at Carbon Leadership Forum said at the Greenbuild conference in Philadelphia. In a panel discussion, Benke; Ryan Dirks, senior associate at Perkins Eastman; Matt Roberts, post-doctoral researcher at the Center for the Built Environment at UC Berkeley; and Wyatt Ross, building science engineer at CMTA Inc. shared insights about whole life carbon assessment for buildings, and what to do to reduce carbon emissions. …It’s also not just about the upfront carbon. “That matters a lot, but we need to work on ways to extend service life,” Ross explained. When you’re developing a building, research the materials before purchasing and installing. For example, Dirks shared that linoleum has fewer carbon emissions than rubber. Additionally, mass timber is more sustainable than steel. (Plus, if you have a hybrid of mass timber, it will provide major cost savings.)