Landscape Architecture 2040: Guide to Site Carbon Asssessment

ASLA and the ASLA Fund have developed: 
Landscape Architecture 2040: Guide to Site Carbon Assessment v1

About

Landscape Architecture 2040: Guide to Site Carbon Assessment v1 can be used to gather, document, and quantify information about the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sinks of site projects.

The guide explains how to: 

• Define the scope and criteria for a site carbon assessment
• Measure embodied carbon emissions, which come from the extraction, transportation, construction, use, and deconstruction of materials 
• Estimate operational emissions, which come from the energy used to power, water, and maintain a site 
• Estimate landscape carbon storage, which is the amount of carbon sequestered through plants, trees, and soils. 
• Estimate product carbon storage, which is the amount of carbon stored in bio-based products made from wood. 
• Use a range of tools to assess site carbon, including Pathfinder, Carbon Conscience, C. Scale, and One Click LCA Infrastructure. 
• Leverage project certifications to support carbon assessment work 

Authors

The guide was developed by a working group of the ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Committee: 

• Alejandra Hinojosa, Affil. ASLA, LEED AP BD+C, Co-Chair, Site Carbon Assessment Working Group; Senior Sustainability Specialist, LPA Design Studios
• Meg Calkins, FASLA, FCELA, Co-Chair, Site Carbon Assessment Working Group; Chair, ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan Task Force; Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, North Carolina State University
• Mariana Ricker, ASLA, PLA, Member, Site Carbon Assessment Working Group; Climate Lead, ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan Task Force; Associate Principal, SWA Group 
• Chris Hardy, ASLA, PLA, CA, Member, Site Carbon Assessment Working Group; Associate Principal, Sasaki

Reviewers

The guide was reviewed by an Industry Peer Group of seven leading built environment organizations and a Professional Practice Group of 13 landscape architecture firms. 

Industry Peer Group

• Brad Benke, Carbon Leadership Forum
• Stephanie Carlisle, RA, C.Scale and University of Pennsylvania
• Pamela Conrad, ASLA, PLA, Climate Positive Design
• Aurora Jensen, Carbon Leadership Forum
• Danielle Pieranunzi, Hon. ASLA, USGBC/GBCI, Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES)
• Matt Roberts, Center for Built Environment (CBE), University of California at Berkeley
• Lauren Wingo, SE2050 Commitment Program, Structural Engineering Institute
• Rachel Wrublik, MEP 2040 Steering Committee, PAE Engineers

Professional Practice Group 

• Emily Allen, LEED AP, Field Operations                    
• Scott Bishop, ASLA, PLA, Bishop Land Design
• Aida Curtis, FASLA, PLA, Curtis + Rogers Design Studio 
• Willa DeBoom, ASLA, PLA, SWA Group
• Emily Dunaway, ASLA, PLA, WEDG, Dana Brown and Associates, Inc.
• Claire Fellman, ASLA, Reed Hilderbrand
• Chelsea Gieryic, ASLA, Livable Cities Studio 
• Kate Hayes, ASLA, PLA, SCAPE
• Julia Howe, ASLA, PLA, SCAPE
• Kate Larsen, ASLA, PLA, RA, AIA, Snøhetta
• Samuel Ridge, RA, Field Operations
• Jerry Smith, FASLA, Smith GreenHealth Consulting
• Jonah Susskind, ASLA, SWA Group
• Mary Taylor, ASLA, PLA, SITES AP, Surfacedesign, Inc.
• Will Viitanen, ASLA, PLA, Livable Cities Studio 
• Andrew Wickham, FASLA, PLA, LPA Design Studios
• Brandon Woodle, ASLA, PLA, SmithGroup