In 2010, the UK government’s Low Carbon Construction Innovation and Growth Team report recommended that the Treasury Green Book require whole-life carbon appraisal of proposals before public funds are committed. In response, RICS developed a methodology to calculate the embodied carbon of construction materials. After a 2012 information paper, a guidance note is due for release in April 2014 (see page 25) with a Code of Practice and Practice Statement likely to follow, on which this RICS guidance will become mandatory. Is this the precursor for placing a cost on carbon