Ghostbusting the Spooky Scaries of Innovative Lower-Carbon Materials
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM · 1 hr. (US/Eastern)
Materials, Reuse & Embodied CarbonReuse & Embodied Carbon
Information
Designers and owners are often haunted by the same questions when it comes to lower-carbon materials: Is it code-compliant? Will it perform? Can we get it approved? Has it been used before?
In reality, many of today’s “scariest” materials and technologies are already market-ready. The biggest barriers to adoption are often not technical, but cultural, economic, and procedural.
This session brings together insights from Carbon Leadership Forum’s forthcoming Emerging Low-Carbon Materials Spotlights and Perkins&Will’s Bio-Based & Natural Materials research, paired with lower-carbon material applications in actual projects with Davies-Crooks Associates and Hines. Together we will demystify the risks, reveal what’s actually working in practice, and outline actionable pathways for accelerating decarbonization in real projects.
Grounded in built examples, material spotlights, and lessons learned from early adopters, the session will explore how decarbonization at scale depends not on a handful of breakthrough products, but on investing in lower-carbon concrete and circular economy materials, the bio-economy as climate infrastructure, activating regional supply chains, turning underutilized biomass into durable building materials, and pairing material innovation with smarter design strategies.
Rather than debating theory, this session focuses on what it actually takes to move from curiosity to implementation, equipping attendees with talking points, strategies, and examples they can immediately apply in their own practice.
Attendees will leave having “ghostbusted” common fears around innovative materials, with a clearer understanding of where to act now, how to pilot responsibly, and how to help shift design culture toward a low-carbon future that performs in the real world.
In reality, many of today’s “scariest” materials and technologies are already market-ready. The biggest barriers to adoption are often not technical, but cultural, economic, and procedural.
This session brings together insights from Carbon Leadership Forum’s forthcoming Emerging Low-Carbon Materials Spotlights and Perkins&Will’s Bio-Based & Natural Materials research, paired with lower-carbon material applications in actual projects with Davies-Crooks Associates and Hines. Together we will demystify the risks, reveal what’s actually working in practice, and outline actionable pathways for accelerating decarbonization in real projects.
Grounded in built examples, material spotlights, and lessons learned from early adopters, the session will explore how decarbonization at scale depends not on a handful of breakthrough products, but on investing in lower-carbon concrete and circular economy materials, the bio-economy as climate infrastructure, activating regional supply chains, turning underutilized biomass into durable building materials, and pairing material innovation with smarter design strategies.
Rather than debating theory, this session focuses on what it actually takes to move from curiosity to implementation, equipping attendees with talking points, strategies, and examples they can immediately apply in their own practice.
Attendees will leave having “ghostbusted” common fears around innovative materials, with a clearer understanding of where to act now, how to pilot responsibly, and how to help shift design culture toward a low-carbon future that performs in the real world.
Learning Level
Intermediate
Program
Track Session
Track
Materials, Reuse & Embodied Carbon
Learning Objective #1
Identify lower-embodied-carbon materials and systems ready for near-term adoption, including bio-based materials, emerging lower-carbon concrete and circular material technologies, demand-reduction strategies, and understand their position along a technology readiness spectrum.
Learning Objective #2
Evaluate and address common barriers to specifying innovative lower-carbon materials, such as perceived risk, data gaps, certification limitations, and procurement constraints, using real-world examples and proven pathways.
Learning Objective #3
Apply strategies for piloting and scaling lower-carbon materials within active projects, including identifying appropriate applications, engaging fabricators early, and navigating equivalency and approval processes.
Learning Objective #4
Assess and communicate material selection strategies supporting LEED v5 Materials & Resources credits by understanding how bio-based and natural materials align with embodied carbon reduction goals and material impact criteria.
