Extract

Abstract: This study uses two building design platforms to investigate the environmental impact of an increase in the Australian construction industry’s adoption of digital technologies. Environmentally Extended Input-Output (EEIO) analysis is used to trace the upstream and downstream environmental impacts of industries represented in the Australian national accounts’ Input-Output Tables. Two intervention strategies are used to simulate tool adoption affecting two industry groups, i.e., an increase in the demand for Software Publishing and a decrease in Architectural, Engineering and Technical Services. Disaggregation of industry sectors was done using primary data and information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Markets Insights, the Housing Industry Association and the National
Skills Commission, among others. Iterative Proportional Fitting and Structural Path Analysis were used to rebalance the Input-Output Tables and trace the flow of environmental impacts, including proxy second order effects. The results suggest a potential emissions reduction of 6.3 MtCO₂-e associated with embodied environmental impacts throughout the Australian economy under the explored scenario range. Within this range, the results show a maximum theoretical reduction of 0.0013% and 0.0026% for the case study tools. Under assumptions of wide-scale adoption and optimal efficiency gains, commercial objectives can be guided to capitalise on these results’ potential magnitude and direction. The methodological limitations of this study and their implications on the results are discussed in detail, including uncertainty levels, data gaps, and ignored variables. Regardless of these issues, the study provides insights into the potential environmental benefits of transitioning to extensive digitalisation of building design services.

Keywords: Digitalisation; Scenario-based Analysis; Building; EEIO.

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