The Housing Agency: Embodied Carbon and the Climate Impact of our Housing

[edit] Introduction

‘Embodied Carbon and The Climate Impact of our Housing’ is a report prepared for the Housing Agency by Philip Comerford, and published on 26 August 2025.

The Housing Agency is a government body working with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in the delivery of housing and housing services across the whole of Ireland. Their Purpose is to accelerate housing supply, in partnership with key stakeholders, by providing expertise, support and resources to deliver high-quality homes in vibrant communities, they also implement the Pyrite Remediation Scheme. Their purpose is delivered in three ways: Being a Centre of Knowledge for Housing Insights. Addressing Housing Supply and Affordability and Supporting the Creation of Sustainable and Inclusive Communities.

Philip Comerford is an architect in private practice in Dublin and a researcher in University College Dublin (UCD). He graduated from UCD having also studied in the TU Delft, The Netherlands. In 2011 he did a masters at University College London (UCL The Bartlett), carrying out research on sustainable urbanism and social housing. Having worked for a variety of offices in Dublin and Europe, including for Grafton Architects and Derek Tynan Architects in Dublin he set up his own studio, Philip Comerford Architects specialises in bespoke residential design and housing projects. Phillip has taught architecture studio in a number of universities, was senior assistant at the Accademia di architettura, Mendrisio, Switzerland, under the professorship of Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects. Since 2017 he has been a Design Fellow teaching in University College Dublin (UCD).

[edit] The report

"The housing crisis and the climate crisis are intertwined, and we cannot solve one without addressing the other. Current regulations in Ireland focus mainly on the emissions created by the running of buildings, known as operational carbon and measured through the Building Energy Rating system. Less well understood is the carbon emitted through the construction and maintenance of buildings, known as embodied carbon.

This research addresses this gap by assessing the embodied carbon emissions of different dwelling types at a range of scales and densities, from individual houses to duplex dwellings and apartments.

An innovative aspect of the study is that in addition to measuring the environmental impact of dwellings themselves, the surrounding neighbourhood is also considered together with its external landscaping and road infrastructure.

By gaining an understanding of the climate impacts of current building practices, strategies for a decarbonised housing sector are then proposed. This evidence-based knowledge will provide developers, policy makers and housing stakeholders with a platform to imagine the low-carbon communities of the future."

This research highlights the interconnection between Ireland’s housing and climate crises, emphasising that solutions to one cannot ignore the other. While current Irish policy largely measures emissions from the operation of buildings through the BER system, this study shifts focus to embodied carbon—the emissions created during the construction and maintenance of dwellings. By analysing a range of housing types, from single-family homes to apartments, the research provides insight into the environmental impact of current building practices. The findings aim to support policymakers, developers, and stakeholders in envisioning strategies that enable a transition toward low-carbon housing and sustainable communities.

What sets this study apart is its holistic approach, which not only assesses emissions from the dwellings themselves but also considers the surrounding neighbourhood infrastructure, including landscaping and roads. This broader perspective connects the climate implications of construction to land use and density, aligning with Ireland’s National Planning Framework goal of promoting compact growth. By combining building-level and neighbourhood-scale data from residential typologies in County Dublin, the research delivers a comprehensive picture of construction-related emissions, offering evidence-based knowledge to inform policies that balance housing needs with environmental sustainability.

This article is based on the news item 'Embodied Carbon and the Climate Impact of our Housing' from the Housing Agency and a brief synopsis of the report, dated 29 August 2026 https://www.housingagency.ie/publications/embodied-carbon-and-climate-impact-our-housing

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