
Episode #73: Two Numbers – Chris Magwood, RMI
From Fenestration Conversations by Fenestration Review
August 1, 2025 · 1h 16m · Episode 75
About this episode
Chris Magwood discusses the One Number approach to sustainable building regulation and the importance of evaluating embodied carbon separately from operational carbon.
Chris Magwood of the Rocky Mountain Institute joins the podcast to discuss the One Number approach to sustainable building regulation…and he has some objections. While a performance-based approach aimed at regulating the whole-life carbon impact of a construction project should be our ultimate goal, Magwood feels the upfront impact of embodied carbon needs to be evaluated separately, but adjacent to, the long-term impact of operational carbon. Listen now to find out why, and for Magwood’s assessment of where we are in being able to do the carbon impact modelling we will need to meet the future sustainable building regulations under discussion today.
People in this episode
Guest: Chris Magwood
Topics covered
- sustainable building regulation
- carbon impact
- embodied carbon
- operational carbon
- performance-based approach
Keywords
- sustainable building
- carbon impact modelling
- embodied carbon
- operational carbon
- construction regulation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Rocky Mountain Institute
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