Landscape Institute launches new carbon-reduction tools and resources

Landscape has a vital role to play in both carbon reduction and climate adaptation, as well as providing multiple other benefits, from public health and wellbeing to nature recovery and economic growth. At the LI we are committed to helping our members reduce the climate impact of their work and supporting low-carbon outcomes across the built and natural environment. By equipping our members with the knowledge and tools to understand and reduce the climate impact of their work we can ensure landscape professionals play a leading role in addressing climate change.

The new resources are being published at a critical time: the impacts of our changing climate are increasingly being felt, impacting our wellbeing and economy. The UK built environment sector alone is responsible for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing emissions associated with land use, materials, construction and long-term management is therefore essential to meeting national net zero targets. 

The resources have been developed by Greengage Environmental in collaboration with LI members. They translate the recommendations of the Landscape and Carbon report, published with the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) in March 2024, into practical outputs for everyday use by landscape and wider sector practitioners. 

See the new resources for reducing carbon in landscape

Overview of tools

Landscape Carbon Tools Database and Summary Report
The Landscape Carbon Tools Database provides a searchable overview of publicly available tools that support carbon assessment in landscape projects. It enables practitioners to identify tools appropriate to different project stages, scales and landscape elements, including embodied carbon, carbon sequestration and wider ecosystem services.

A concise Summary Report highlights current use across the sector, identifies gaps, and supports more consistent and transparent approaches to carbon assessment in landscape practice.

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Product Category Rules (PCRs) Overview and Factsheets
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) support standardised, transparent, evidence-based hard and soft material selection across the built and natural environment, while Product Category Rules (PCRs) ensure consistency and credibility in environmental reporting by defining how impacts are calculated for specific product types.

These resources explain what EPDs are, why they matter, and how practitioners can use EPD data in their work with clients, developers and suppliers to reduce embodied carbon, as well as the role of PCRs in producing comparable carbon data and how they underpin reliable EPDs.

EPD Databank Database and Summary Report
The EPD Databank is a comparative database showing where verified EPD data for landscape-related products can be accessed.

It supports efficient material specification and comparison, enabling practitioners to make informed low-carbon design choices. The accompanying Summary Report provides insight into current data availability and identifies opportunities to strengthen the evidence base for landscape materials.

See the new resources for reducing carbon in landscape