A Framework to Measure the Digital Carbon Footprint of Design Workflows

Kay Rogage; Barry Gledson; Bahriye Ilhan Jones; Pablo Martinez Rodriguez

doi:10.35490/EC3.2025.335

A Framework to Measure the Digital Carbon Footprint of Design Workflows

Kay Rogage^*, Barry Gledson, Bahriye Ilhan Jones, Pablo Martinez Rodriguez

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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Abstract

The full carbon impact of the digitalisation of construction processes is somewhat neglected due to varying measurement approaches not fully tailored to design and construction processes. Utilising Jackson and Hodgkinson's data carbon ladder, our paper proposes a framework to measure the carbon emissions of digital design processes, from which the carbon impact of common project files is evaluated. Results demonstrate significant emissions come from data storage and transfer, highlighting the need for optimised digital workflows. Our framework increases awareness of the digital carbon footprint of construction projects and helps organisations adopt sustainable digital practices to align with Net Zero targets.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction (EC3) - CIB W78, Porto, Portugal.
Place of Publication	Porto, Portugal
Publisher	European Council on Computing in Construction (EC3)
Number of pages	7
ISBN (Electronic)	9789083451312
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.35490/EC3.2025.335
Publication status	Published - 17 Jul 2025
Event	2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction - Porto, Portugal Duration: 14 Jul 2025 → 17 Jul 2025 https://ec-3.org/conference2025/

Publication series

Name	Computing in construction
ISSN (Print)	2684-1150

Conference

Conference	2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction
Abbreviated title	2025 EC3
Country/Territory	Portugal
City	Porto
Period	14/07/25 → 17/07/25
Internet address	https://ec-3.org/conference2025/

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

digital decarbonisation
digital carbon footprint
design practice
net zero
digitalisation

Access to Document

10.35490/EC3.2025.335

EC3_2025_digital_decarbAccepted author manuscript, 1.08 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Rogage, K., Gledson, B., Ilhan Jones, B., & Martinez Rodriguez, P. (2025). A Framework to Measure the Digital Carbon Footprint of Design Workflows. In Proceedings of the 2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction (EC3) - CIB W78, Porto, Portugal. (Computing in construction). European Council on Computing in Construction (EC3). https://doi.org/10.35490/EC3.2025.335

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title = "A Framework to Measure the Digital Carbon Footprint of Design Workflows",

abstract = "The full carbon impact of the digitalisation of construction processes is somewhat neglected due to varying measurement approaches not fully tailored to design and construction processes. Utilising Jackson and Hodgkinson's data carbon ladder, our paper proposes a framework to measure the carbon emissions of digital design processes, from which the carbon impact of common project files is evaluated. Results demonstrate significant emissions come from data storage and transfer, highlighting the need for optimised digital workflows. Our framework increases awareness of the digital carbon footprint of construction projects and helps organisations adopt sustainable digital practices to align with Net Zero targets.",

keywords = "digital decarbonisation, digital carbon footprint, design practice, net zero, digitalisation",

author = "Kay Rogage and Barry Gledson and \{Ilhan Jones\}, Bahriye and \{Martinez Rodriguez\}, Pablo",

year = "2025",

month = jul,

day = "17",

doi = "10.35490/EC3.2025.335",

language = "English",

series = "Computing in construction",

publisher = "European Council on Computing in Construction (EC3)",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction (EC3) - CIB W78, Porto, Portugal.",

note = "2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction, 2025 EC3 ; Conference date: 14-07-2025 Through 17-07-2025",

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}

Rogage, K , Gledson, B , Ilhan Jones, B & Martinez Rodriguez, P 2025, A Framework to Measure the Digital Carbon Footprint of Design Workflows. in Proceedings of the 2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction (EC3) - CIB W78, Porto, Portugal. . Computing in construction, European Council on Computing in Construction (EC3), Porto, Portugal, 2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction, Porto, Portugal, 14/07/25. https://doi.org/10.35490/EC3.2025.335

A Framework to Measure the Digital Carbon Footprint of Design Workflows. / Rogage, Kay ; Gledson, Barry ; Ilhan Jones, Bahriye et al.
Proceedings of the 2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction (EC3) - CIB W78, Porto, Portugal. . Porto, Portugal: European Council on Computing in Construction (EC3), 2025. (Computing in construction).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - A Framework to Measure the Digital Carbon Footprint of Design Workflows

AU - Rogage, Kay

AU - Gledson, Barry

AU - Ilhan Jones, Bahriye

AU - Martinez Rodriguez, Pablo

PY - 2025/7/17

Y1 - 2025/7/17

N2 - The full carbon impact of the digitalisation of construction processes is somewhat neglected due to varying measurement approaches not fully tailored to design and construction processes. Utilising Jackson and Hodgkinson's data carbon ladder, our paper proposes a framework to measure the carbon emissions of digital design processes, from which the carbon impact of common project files is evaluated. Results demonstrate significant emissions come from data storage and transfer, highlighting the need for optimised digital workflows. Our framework increases awareness of the digital carbon footprint of construction projects and helps organisations adopt sustainable digital practices to align with Net Zero targets.

AB - The full carbon impact of the digitalisation of construction processes is somewhat neglected due to varying measurement approaches not fully tailored to design and construction processes. Utilising Jackson and Hodgkinson's data carbon ladder, our paper proposes a framework to measure the carbon emissions of digital design processes, from which the carbon impact of common project files is evaluated. Results demonstrate significant emissions come from data storage and transfer, highlighting the need for optimised digital workflows. Our framework increases awareness of the digital carbon footprint of construction projects and helps organisations adopt sustainable digital practices to align with Net Zero targets.

KW - digital decarbonisation

KW - digital carbon footprint

KW - design practice

KW - net zero

KW - digitalisation

UR - https://ec-3.org/conference2025/programme/overview/

U2 - 10.35490/EC3.2025.335

DO - 10.35490/EC3.2025.335

M3 - Conference contribution

T3 - Computing in construction

BT - Proceedings of the 2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction (EC3) - CIB W78, Porto, Portugal.

PB - European Council on Computing in Construction (EC3)

CY - Porto, Portugal

T2 - 2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction

Y2 - 14 July 2025 through 17 July 2025

ER -

Rogage K , Gledson B , Ilhan Jones B , Martinez Rodriguez P. A Framework to Measure the Digital Carbon Footprint of Design Workflows. In Proceedings of the 2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction (EC3) - CIB W78, Porto, Portugal. . Porto, Portugal: European Council on Computing in Construction (EC3). 2025. (Computing in construction). doi: 10.35490/EC3.2025.335

A Framework to Measure the Digital Carbon Footprint of Design Workflows

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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