Circular Ecology Launches IC+, a New Embodied Carbon Database for Professional Use

The launch gives more than 20 years of embodied carbon data development a sustainable foundation for the future.

22 October 2026: Circular Ecology has launched IC+, a new commercial embodied carbon database created to support professionals working across buildings, infrastructure, products, and the wider construction sector.

The first release of IC+ provides more than 500 carbon factors for materials. It is designed to support carbon calculations at the points where generic data is most useful, including early design, material comparison, and project assessment. IC+ gives Circular Ecology’s work on embodied carbon data a more sustainable foundation for the future. IC+ begins with a rebuilt dataset for current professional use, supported by a commercial model intended to fund its continued maintenance and development.

It arrives more than 20 years after the first Inventory of Carbon and Energy, widely known as the ICE Database, was released in 2005. The original database was developed at the University of Bath by Circular Ecology founder Dr Craig Jones, during his time as a researcher working with Professor Geoff Hammond within the Sustainable Energy Research Team. The ICE Database went on to become a familiar resource to support carbon assessments across the built environment, having been downloaded by over 100,000 users globally by 2025. IC+ carries that experience forward through a separate professional product with its own data and methodology, while the ICE Database Educational remains available for teaching and learning.

Data Shaped by Changing Professional Needs

When the ICE Database was first published, embodied carbon occupied a very different place in construction. Assessments were less common, the available evidence base was smaller, and carbon data was rarely built into day-to-day design systems. The sector has since moved on considerably.

Carbon calculations now inform live project decisions. Data is being incorporated into spreadsheets, design models, and specialist software, and clients increasingly expect teams to explain the basis of an assessment and justify why a particular factor has been used.

This has changed what professionals need from a generic carbon database, as a numerical value on its own is no longer enough. Users also need context about where the figure came from, what it represents, and when it is appropriate to use.

IC+ has been developed with those needs in mind. Each factor has a structured reference name that helps users understand the material and the declared unit. The database also gives clearer information about geographical relevance, and supporting notes provide further context on the source and application of the data.

Where the evidence allows, users can choose between different carbon scenarios rather than relying on a single value for every situation. This may help a design team compare a lower-carbon specification with a more conservative assumption when detailed supplier information is not yet available.

“Taking IC+ from a pile of raw EPDs and sector data to a published dataset has been the most rewarding project of my career so far. Every figure in it has been read, questioned and cross-checked, with thousands of small judgement calls made by a team who care about getting them right. Seeing it all come together into something the industry can actually pick up and use makes every one of those decisions worth it.

As the carbon landscape has changed dramatically since the launch of the original ICE Database, it’s great to be responsible for releasing a modern, fully rebuilt dataset that carries the same purpose forward.”

Joe Rouse, Senior Sustainability Consultant and IC+ Project Manager, Circular Ecology

More Than 500 Carbon Factors

The first IC+ release contains more than 500 carbon factors covering the principal material groups used in building and infrastructure assessments. Supplied as an Excel workbook, the database is launched alongside a methodology report explaining how the data has been developed. Its initial scope is cradle-to-gate embodied carbon across life-cycle stages A1–A3.

The factors represent typical materials rather than specific branded products. This makes them particularly useful during early stages of a project, when the precise product or supplier may not yet be known. IC+ gives teams a consistent basis for comparing options until more specific information, such as an environmental product declaration, becomes available.

An updated IC+ Cement, Mortar, and Concrete Calculator is also included. Users can now replace any of its pre-set assumptions with project-specific information when better data is available. This allows the tool to reflect a real-life mix more closely, rather than relying entirely on fixed generic background assumptions.

Circular Ecology has also considered how best to support organisations when transitioning from ICE to IC+. Where an older ICE factor has a comparable replacement, its identifier has been mapped to the corresponding IC+ identifier. That mapping is contained within the IC+ workbook and can support an easier transition to IC+ within existing tools or material libraries.

Flexible Professional Use

IC+ is designed to support a wide range of professional applications. Organisations can use the data within approved internal spreadsheets, engineering models, and business systems, as well as for consultancy work and authenticated digital tools.

Licence arrangements reflect the scale and nature of each organisation’s use. Circular Ecology describes this approach as “fair contribution for fair use”, with proportionate options for small specialist teams, consultancies, infrastructure bodies and digital platforms.

A Sustainable Foundation for Continued Development

The ICE Database reached a global audience while remaining freely available for professional use. However, maintaining carbon data to current professional standards requires resources that the original model could not provide.

The commercial model behind IC+ creates a more sustainable basis for that work, the funding from which will support the continued review of existing data and the development of future releases. The arrangement reflects how many people use the data and whether it is incorporated into tools that other users can access.

Circular Ecology explained the background to this change, including the funding challenges faced under the previous model, in its Important ICE Database Announcement published in March 2026.

“The industry and the world of carbon reporting have changed dramatically over the last decade, and with the launch of the IC+ Database, we can provide a much-needed update to the data we know many professionals use and rely on for their carbon assessments.

By moving to a more sustainable funding approach, we can now move faster and think bigger about the data we can provide in future updates to ensure the IC+ Database stays fit for purpose and keeps pace as the industry moves towards net zero.”

Jon Burrow, Director of Consultancy and IC+ Oversight, Circular Ecology

ICE Database Educational

The ICE Database Educational is the new form of the ICE Database and will remain freely available for educational purposes. It can continue to support classroom teaching, academic, and personal learning. It is not the professional edition of IC+, nor is IC+ simply a paid version of the same workbook. The 2 resources now have different purposes.

Commercial calculations and other professional applications will move to IC+ or alternative available data. This includes use in project reporting and internal business tools. The same applies where the data is built into software or digital platforms. By separating the two databases, Circular Ecology can preserve free educational access while establishing a more sustainable route for professional data development.

What Comes Next?

The first IC+ release is the foundation for continued development. Circular Ecology intends to broaden the database as new evidence becomes available and professional requirements change. Areas currently under consideration include inclusion of wider material and scenario factor types, further alignment with EN 15804 reporting categories, and wider life-cycle boundaries. Additional environmental impact categories may also be explored.

Licence holders are invited to identify gaps, suggest materials and share feedback from practical use. This dialogue will help the team understand where future development could provide the greatest professional value.

IC+ is now available directly from Circular Ecology under a Commercial Data Licence Agreement.

For information about licensing or the use of IC+ within an existing calculation tool, visit https://circularecology.com/ic-plus.html.