Dear CBE Community,
We are writing to share exciting news about the latest evolution in structuring our work to radically reduce the greenhouse gas emissions attributed to buildings and infrastructure.
Since its founding in 2009, Carbon Leadership Forum has been highly effective in blending academic and industry research and education. Since 2010, CLF has been hosted at the University of Washington under the leadership of Professor Kate Simonen. As its impact and reach matured, we recognized there was benefit to doing work in a structure that differentiated the academic laboratory from the public advocacy and education.The Carbon Leadership Forum is now an independent nonprofit organization. Kate Simonen will serve as the board chair of the new nonprofit organization which retains the name Carbon Leadership Forum. At the same time, Kate continues to lead an academic research group at the UW College of Built Environments under a newly named Life Cycle Lab. The Life Cycle Lab is the ideal forum to advance embodied carbon and life cycle assessment research that is published in academic journals, grounds policy and practice, and develops the next generation of researchers.
These organizational changes will enable both entities to be more effective, efficient, and impactful in advancing research, cross-sector collaboration, and scaled action to bring embodied carbon emissions down to zero. This transition is about growth, not downsizing and staff transitions will be gradual. Both teams remain committed to the invaluable partnerships we hold with so many of you and look forward to continuing to engage with you through both the Carbon Leadership Forum and the Life Cycle Lab.
Together, the Carbon Leadership Forum and Life Cycle Lab will work collaboratively to achieve our vision of a transformed, decarbonized building industry — creating better buildings for a better planet.
Sincerely,
Renée Cheng
John and Rosalind Jacobi Family Endowed Dean of the College of Built Environments
Kate Simonen
Professor of Architecture
Mithun/Russell Family Foundation Endowed Professorship in Sustainability
Director, Life Cycle Lab