ORE Embodied Carbon Developer Guide

Octopus Healthcare Fund (OHF) is committed to decarbonising the built environment and has set ambitious targets for its new developments to achieve net zero by 2030. Recognising that embodied carbon makes up a significant proportion of a building’s whole life emissions, OHF sought a structured approach to benchmarking, managing, and reducing embodied carbon in its portfolio of care homes. Envision was commissioned to support OHF in developing a clear, evidence-based strategy to achieve these goals.

Envision undertook a detailed benchmarking exercise across OHF’s portfolio to establish baseline embodied carbon intensities for care homes, a building type where sector-specific benchmarks were not yet well established. Using the RICS Professional Standard Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment (v2), we:

• Defined clear interim (2025) and long-term (2030) embodied carbon targets for both upfront carbon (A1–A5) and whole-life embodied carbon (A–C).
• Developed a step-by-step assessment framework requiring developers to produce whole life-cycle carbon assessments (WLCA) at RIBA Stages 2, 4, and 6, with third-party verification at completion.
• Produced a practical reporting template for consistent submission of WLCA data.
• Outlined embodied carbon reduction strategies tailored to typical care home design and construction, covering both design strategies (structural form, foundations, adaptability, disassembly) and material strategies (concrete mixes, green steel, timber, recycled insulation, lower-impact finishes).
• Illustrated practical reduction routes — from “minimal wider impact” strategies achievable at little cost or disruption, through to “moderate impact” pathways delivering deeper carbon reductions.
• Embedded principles of circular economy, biogenic carbon, and whole-life durability to ensure the framework looked beyond upfront carbon to end-of-life recovery and reuse.

By preparing this guide, Envision provided OHF with:

• Clarity and consistency: For the first time, OHF’s development partners had a single reference guide outlining carbon targets, assessment requirements, and acceptable reduction strategies for care home projects.
• Practical solutions: The reduction strategies were presented with quantified carbon savings and notes on design, cost, and programme impacts — allowing developers and contractors to make informed decisions.
• Benchmark leadership: In a sector with limited embodied carbon benchmarks, our portfolio analysis established a robust evidence base and sector-specific targets.
• Integration into design and procurement: By requiring WLCAs at key design stages and embedding carbon requirements into tender documentation, the guide ensures that carbon reduction is considered from concept through to construction.
• Alignment with industry best practice: The methodology aligns with RICS standards, LETI principles, and wider net zero frameworks, positioning OHF at the forefront of sustainable healthcare development.

Ultimately, the Developer’s Embodied Carbon Guide has become a cornerstone of OHF’s decarbonisation strategy — giving investors confidence, providing developers with actionable pathways, and ensuring care home projects can deliver on OHF’s 2030 net zero commitment.