Standard on Embodied Carbon in Construction (Canada): Federal “buy clean” requirements for major projects

Introduction

The Standard was introduced by the Centre for Greening Government to support the Greening Government Strategy through procurement. It applies to procurements initiated after 31 December 2022 and targets “major government projects,” using contract requirements to force disclosure and reduction of embodied carbon in structural materials. The initial rollout focused on ready-mix concrete and applied to projects valued at $10 million or more and expected to use more than 100 m³ of concrete.

Embodied-carbon reporting under the Standard

While the Standard is part of broader green procurement policy, its practical impact is very specific: it turns embodied-carbon measurement and documentation into bid and close-out requirements.

• Embodied carbon disclosure + reduction expectations - Federal guidance explains that bidders may be required to disclose embodied carbon for concrete and propose a 10% reduction in the embodied carbon footprint of concrete for applicable tenders.

• EPDs as the core evidence - Implementation guidance states the construction service provider must secure Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) or equivalent documentation for structural materials used on the project. It specifies that EPDs used must be ISO 14025 Type III and ISO 21930 compliant (or supported by a robust, third-party-validated LCA approach when EPDs are not available).

• Project-level reporting deliverables - Contractors are expected to complete an Embodied Carbon Project Disclosure (template/report) including material quantities and embodied-carbon data referenced to EPDs (or equivalents) and submit it as part of project documentation before completion.

• How it feeds climate reporting - The guide explicitly frames embodied carbon from materials as part of the asset owner’s Scope 3 emissions picture and links disclosures to annual departmental GHG reporting processes.

Current status and future outlook

The Standard on Embodied Carbon is currently in operation. On 22 July 2025, the Treasury Board Secretariat updated the Standard to broaden its scope: it now includes whole-building life cycle assessment (LCA) to optimise design and material use and adds structural and reinforcement steel alongside concrete as materials subject to embodied-carbon requirements on federal procurements. Federal departments are advised to integrate these updated requirements into their procurement management frameworks so that embodied carbon considerations are consistently reflected in project planning, procurement, and reporting.

Guidance for implementing the Standard continues to support federal organisations and industry practitioners in meeting disclosure, reduction, and reporting obligations, including how embodied carbon data feeds into broader greenhouse-gas emissions reporting processes.

Resources

• Contracting Policy Notice 2022-3 (Canada.ca): initial rollout, effective date, and original thresholds (incl. $10M / 100 m³ concrete; 10% reduction framing). Canada

• Contracting Policy Notice 2025-6 (Canada.ca): updates adding whole-building LCA and steel. Canada

• Guide for implementing the Standard: EPD/ISO requirements, disclosure template workflow, Scope 3 reporting linkage.

• PSPC green procurement “mandatory criteria” page: positions the Standard as commodity-specific green procurement criteria for embodied carbon in construction.