Carbon assessment and cost accounting of a shared building based on the life cycle assessment

Abstract The transformation toward carbon neutrality is crucial, especially within the building industry, which is a significant carbon source. Building carbon accounting is fundamental to enable designers to undertake decarbonisation efforts, yet it remains a less mature field. This paper aims to assess carbon emissions and conduct cost accounting for a shared building using life cycle assessment (LCA) method. Beyond this, this paper also focuses on cost accounting associated with decarbonising efforts. The primary objective is to uncover the sustainability characteristics of shared buildings and establish a foundation for future decarbonisation decision-making. To achieve these goals, this paper first analyses various LCA techniques. Second, the carbon cost accounting model and method are discussed in aspects of five stages across the building life cycle. Third, the carbon emissions and cost accounting of an actual project involving an intelligently designed shared building are examined. The results reveal important insights. The intelligent design stage exhibits the lowest carbon emission, constituting a mere 0.002% of the total, whereas the use and maintenance stage shows the highest carbon emission, representing approximately 65.45% in proportion. In addition, the demolition and disposal stage demonstrates negative emissions (~7.1% of the total), indicating its contribution to decarbonisation. On the decarbonisation costs, material production and transportation contribute the largest proportion, ~67.38%, with the greatest potential for decarbonisation optimization. Overall, this paper provides essential insights into building carbon emission assessment in different stages, offering valuable guidance for architects, designers and engineering to optimise decarbonisation strategies.