Embodied energy is the total energy required for the extraction,
processing, manufacture and delivery of building materials to the building site. Energy consumption produces CO 2, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, so embodied energy is considered an indicator of the overall environmental impact of building materials and systems. Unlike the life cycle assessment, which evaluates all of the impacts over the whole life of a material or element, embodied energy only considers the front-end aspect of the impact of a building material. It does not include the operation or disposal of materials.