MRp2 Quantify & Assess Embodied Carbon Prerequisite
Background on LEED v5 Carbon Credits
With the release of LEED v5, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has expanded its focus on carbon-related credits and prerequisites. Prerequisites are required by the USGBC to achieve your LEED certification. Credits are optional in the LEED scorecard.
New credits and prerequisites specific to the construction scope include:
- MRp2 Prerequisite: Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon
- MRc2 Credit: Reduce Embodied Carbon
The LEED v5 Materials and Resources Prerequisite: Quantify & Assess Embodied Carbon (MRp2) introduces a new standard for project teams to engage in embodied carbon assessment at a basic level. Project teams are now required to participate in some level of embodied carbon assessment.
Through achieving the prerequisite, the USGBC has also streamlined another new LEED credit, MRc2: Reduce Embodied Carbon. According to the USGBC:
“The intention is that many projects will attempt to earn points from the MRc2: Reduce Embodied Carbon and use the analysis [from MRp2] as the documentation for this prerequisite with no further analysis needed” (U.S. Green Building Council [USGBC], 2025, ID+C, p. 397).
Please refer to the Green Badger resource, “The Basics of Embodied Carbon” for additional information on understanding embodied carbon.
MRp2 Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon Requirements
MRp2 requires project teams to gain a basic understanding of embodied carbon in construction materials. For ID+C projects, the prerequisite is focused on materials installed on the interior of the project/building. This includes quantifying key materials and quantities to assess their impact over time.
The USGBC outlines minimum required materials as:
While the prerequisite does not require projects to reduce embodied carbon at this stage, MRp2 mandates a structured documentation and analysis process. Additionally, all projects will need to summarize the top three sources of embodied carbon in their project and describe the strategies considered to mitigate the impact of these hotspots.
Getting Started with MRp2
We know construction teams love the bottom line, so here it is. At a minimum, projects must begin tracking the embodied carbon for structure, enclosure, and hardscape materials. Teams are also required to summarize the top three sources of embodied carbon, including a narrative of the strategies considered to mitigate the impact of those materials.
LEED v5 MRp2 Quantify & Assess Embodied Carbon documentation includes:
- Bill of Materials (BoM): List quantities of major structure, enclosure, and hardscape materials used in the project
- GWP Totals: Include cradle-to-gate (A1-A3) embodied carbon emission totals for each material
- Data Sources: Provide a description of data sources used to determine embodied carbon values per material
- Baseline Justification: Include justification of used baselines (regional, industry, similar construction type, etc.) if EPA GSA, CLF, or other recommended embodied carbon values are not available
- Tools: Projects using life-cycle assessment or embodied carbon software tools may report results from their tool
The USGBC recommends teams begin identifying embodied carbon materials in the schematic and design development stage to ensure low-carbon materials are identified early. Active preplanning will limit cost and potential substitution impacts.
Bill of Materials (BoM): Project teams are required to maintain a list of materials that captures materials, quantities, units of measure, and installation locations. “Quantities may come from as-built data or estimated quantities from the design phase” (U.S. Green Building Council [USGBC], 2025, ID+C, p. 241).
A helpful tool to get started with tracking your embodied carbon materials is a material takeoff sheet. The takeoff sheet provides an outline for:
- Material name and manufacturer
- Quantities
- Units of measure
- Installation locations (structure, hardscape, enclosure)
Green Badger has a material takeoff sheet template for teams to use as a tracking resource.
Global Warming Potential (GWP): MRp2 Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon requires tracking GWP for all materials within the structure, enclosure, and hardscape. The embodied carbon of a material is documented through GWP, which is a combination of A1-A3 cradle-to-gate emissions.
- A1 = Raw Material Supply
- A2 = Transportation
- A3 = Manufacturing
GWP is typically defined in product-specific and/or industry average Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Product-specific EPDs are the preferred form of documentation. Refer to the Green Badger resource “Uncovering Embodied Carbon in EPDs” for more information.
After locating the GWP in the EPD, you’ll multiply the GWP/unit by the quantity of each material. If you cannot locate a GWP in the EPD, you can use the EPA default values (when available).
Tools & Data Sources
The USGBC identifies a number of tools and resources to assist project teams with embodied carbon documentation. Green Badger is releasing a LEED v5 platform this fall that will be a one-stop shop for green product selection, embodied carbon calculations, etc.
Key Takeaways
The LEED v5 MRp2 prerequisite represents a step toward widespread understanding of embodied carbon in building materials. While reductions in emissions are not yet required, comprehensive documentation is.
To comply:
- Track embodied carbon for interior materials: gypsum wallboard, flooring, insulation, wood and wood composites, wall framing, ceiling systems, concrete, metals, and paints and coatings.
- Collect quantities, GWPs, and data source information
- Use approved tools and datasets
- Begin early in the design phase
- Summarize the top three materials with the highest embodied carbon and reduction strategies
A number of tools and resources are available to track this information, with a few examples accepted by the USGBC noted above. Green Badger’s LEED v5 dashboard is in the works with massive updates to our database and LEED platform to support embodied carbon tracking and compliance.
