New program provides structural engineers with the necessary tools and resources to contribute and track projects toward the vision of net-zero embodied carbon structures by 2050

RESTON, Va. – The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) has announced the Structural Engineers 2050 Commitment Program (SE 2050).

The SEI Structural Engineers 2050 Commitment Program (SE 2050) provides structural engineers with the necessary tools and resources to contribute and track projects toward the vision of net-zero embodied carbon structures by 2050.

The SE2050 Commitment Program was developed in response to the SE 2050 Challenge put forth by the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) that states that “All structural engineers shall understand, reduce and ultimately eliminate embodied carbon in their projects by 2050.” In response to the CLF challenge, the SEI Sustainability Committee has been developing the first national program aimed at structural engineering firm commitments to achieve net-zero embodied carbon structures by the year 2050. The SE 2050 Commitment Program is broken down into three strategies: Plan, Implement and Share. Learn more here.

After a structural firm formally signs onto the commitment, they will need to create an Embodied Carbon Action Plan (ECAP). The firm’s ECAP will center around four main topics: an embodied carbon education plan, a reporting plan, reduction strategies and advocacy. Firms will then implement their ECAP with the support of educational resources and tools accessible through SE2050.org.

Structural firms will input projects’ embodied carbon measurements into the SE 2050 database. After adequate embodied carbon data has been collected for different regions and building types, embodied carbon benchmarks and reduction targets will be developed.

To learn more about the SE 2050 Commitment program and see the available embodied carbon resources available to structural engineers, visit SE2050.org. To join the movement, structural engineering firms can commit at  https://se2050.org/join-the-movement-overview/. 

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org   or  www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.

About ASCE Structural Engineering Institute

Established in 1996, SEI advances our members' careers, stimulates technological advancement, and improves professional practice. SEI drives the practical application of cutting-edge research by improving coordination and understanding between academia and practicing engineers. For more information, visit www.asce.org/SEI and follow us on Twitter, @ASCE_SEI.

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