What Builders for Climate Action does

Builders for Climate Action (BfCA) is a Canadian non-profit founded in 2019 and based in Peterborough, Ontario, that develops the BEAM (Building Emissions Accounting for Materials) Estimator, a web-based carbon footprint calculator for building materials delivered through Google Sheets. BfCA targets the low- and mid-rise residential building sector, alongside adjacent commercial and institutional users, and serves builders, designers, developers, policy makers, researchers, and cities working to reduce embodied carbon. The underlying BEAM methodology uses GWP factors from Environmental Product Declarations and peer-reviewed Life Cycle Assessments, applies a cradle-to-gate (A1–A3) scope, and uniquely accounts for biogenic carbon storage in materials such as straw, hemp, and mycelium composites — enabling some bio-based materials to register as net-negative 'carbon-storing.'

The wider product portfolio extends BEAM with paid training courses (self-paced at $125 CAD and in-person at $225 CAD per person, plus a $175 CAD Advanced Workflow Training), a curated Bio-Based & Circular Materials Database, and a professional services line covering research studies, carbon audits, speaking engagements, and custom BEAM training. The core BEAM tool is offered on a pay-what-you-can model supported by corporate sponsorships (Doug Tarry Homes, BuildingKnowledge, New Frameworks) and grants from Canadian government agencies (Natural Resources Canada, The Atmospheric Fund), with additional research collaborations with Passive Buildings Canada, CanmetENERGY, and the Carbon Leadership Forum. The organization operates with a small team of approximately five, does not have charity status, and does not disclose revenue.

Name

Builders for Climate Action

Legal name

Builders for Climate Action

Website

https://buildersforclimateaction.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Builders for Climate Action is a Canadian non-profit that develops the BEAM Estimator, a Google Sheets-based carbon footprint calculator for building materials, serving low-rise builders, designers, and policy makers through free access, training courses, and professional services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Embodied Carbon Estimation Software

akta.pro primary industry

Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms (EUABAEAD)

Keywords

• Embodied carbon estimation
• Building emissions accounting
• Low-rise residential sustainability
• Carbon storing materials
• Life cycle assessment tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. BEAM User Contributions: Pay-what-you-can model for BEAM tool access. Users can choose to pay or skip payment. User support is fundamental for ongoing maintenance and development.
2. Training Courses: Online self-paced BEAM training course at $125 CAD per person; in-person training at $225 CAD per person. Advanced Workflow Training at $175 CAD per person.
3. Professional Services: Research & Studies, Carbon Audits, Speaking Engagements, and Custom BEAM Training offered to contractors, architects, developers, and cities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Builders for Climate Action provides the BEAM (Building Emissions Accounting for Materials) Estimator, a web-based carbon footprint assessment tool built in Google Sheets for the low-rise residential building sector. The tool enables users to input building dimensions and compare cradle-to-gate carbon emissions of different material options, assemblies, and whole buildings, with a specialized methodology for carbon storage in biogenic materials. Complementing the tool are paid training courses, professional services (carbon audits, research, speaking, custom training), and a curated bio-based and circular materials database.

Product overview

Builders for Climate Action offers a unified portfolio centered on BEAM (Building Emissions Accounting for Materials), a web-based carbon footprint estimator tool for building materials in the low-rise residential sector. The core BEAM tool is complemented by training offerings: the BEAM Training Course (a 3-session online course taught by the development team) and the advanced Embodied Carbon Analysis Workflow Training. The company also provides a Bio-Based & Circular Materials Database as a curated reference resource. Additional services include research studies, carbon audits, speaking engagements, and custom BEAM training. The company follows a pay-what-you-can model for BEAM access, relying on user support for tool maintenance and development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BEAM Estimator: Building Emissions Accounting for Materials - an easy-to-use web-based tool for assessing the carbon footprint of building materials for the low-rise residential sector.

Products and services

• BEAM (Building Emissions Accounting for Materials) Estimator Web-based carbon footprint estimator tool for building materials, designed for the low- and mid-rise residential sector. Users input building dimensions and compare the carbon footprint of different material options at the material, assembly, and whole-building levels, with a specialized methodology for carbon storage in biogenic materials.
• BEAM Training Course A live, online course delivered over three 1.5-hour sessions taught by BEAM developers. Covers carbon accounting fundamentals, BEAM navigation and usage, and interpreting results for professional practice. Available as self-paced ($125 CAD per person) or live online ($225 CAD per person).
• Embodied Carbon Analysis Workflow Training Advanced training for architecture, engineering, consulting, and contracting practitioners on integrating embodied carbon analysis into design and construction workflows. Covers goal establishment, strategy development, analysis types, tool stacks, and data visualization. Priced at $175 CAD per person for the June 2025 live session.
• Research & Studies Services Research services including benchmark studies, policy explorations, and material and design innovations conducted by the Builders for Climate Action research team. Targets contractors, architects, developers, and cities.
• Carbon Audits Building plan assessments at any design stage to help achieve climate targets using BEAM, building science knowledge, and construction experience.
• Speaking Engagements Tailored presentations on carbon-positive buildings, ranging from high-level introductions to in-depth case study explorations.
• Custom BEAM Training Customized training programs designed to help teams get the most out of BEAM, tailored to specific organizational needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce embodied carbon by 25-75% using widely available materials
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, flagship and minor.

• Passive Buildings CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Builders for Climate Action on the EMBARC study, the world's most comprehensive benchmark study of carbon footprint of over 500 residential buildings in the Greater Toronto area. Partnership conducted world's first study on GHG emissions from residential building materials.
• CanmetENERGYmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiated a 2023 project to advance use of carbon storing materials in building enclosures for industrial construction. Builders for Climate Action contributed to 'Building A Low Carbon Future' report identifying and assessing low carbon and carbon storing feedstocks.
• Carbon Leadership ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilders for Climate Action's Director Chris Magwood was co-author of two ground-breaking reports: Carbon-storing Materials Report (finding ~60% reduction in embodied carbon possible in 2-3 years) and Transformative Carbon-Storing Materials Report identifying six materials with high carbon-storing potential.
• Doug Tarry HomesflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTrailblazer Sponsor of BEAM v1.1. Their belief in the mission and generous contributions were instrumental in successfully launching BEAM V1.1.
• BuildingKnowledgeflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTrailblazer Sponsor of BEAM v1.1. Contributed to successful launch of BEAM V1.1.
• New FrameworksflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerChampion Sponsor of BEAM v1.1. Organization where Jacob Deva Racusin serves as Director of Building Science and Sustainability.
• Nelson Low Carbon Building SpecialistminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped the Kootenay Construction Material Impact Guide in collaboration, comparing upfront carbon emissions of common construction materials with locally relevant data for Nelson, BC.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• World Green Building Council: World Green Building Council is a global network driving net-zero and embodied carbon action across the building sector. It is a peer in advocacy and is featured in BfCA's carbon community directory, sharing the carbon-positive building mission.
• RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute): RMI is a clean energy transition think tank with a building decarbonization program that produces research and tools on embodied and operational carbon. It is a peer in the broader climate-and-buildings ecosystem and is featured in BfCA's carbon community directory.

Direct peers

• One Click LCA: One Click LCA provides software for life cycle assessment and embodied carbon calculations across buildings and infrastructure. It is the most direct commercial competitor to BEAM, addressing the same low-rise residential and embodied carbon reporting use case with broader material coverage and integrations.
• Athena Sustainable Materials Institute: Athena provides Life Cycle Assessment data and tools for building materials, including the Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings. It is a direct peer in producing LCA-based embodied carbon data referenced by researchers and practitioners in the same sector BfCA serves.
• Building Transparency (EC3): Building Transparency operates the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), a free tool backed by EPD data for benchmarking structural materials. It is a direct functional peer to BEAM's emissions accounting tool, with broader scope across building types and larger institutional backing.
• Tally (KT Innovations): Tally is a Revit-integrated LCA plugin used by architects to quantify embodied carbon impacts of building materials. It directly competes with BEAM in the architectural design phase, with stronger BIM integration but less focus on low-rise residential and carbon-storing biogenic materials.
• eTool: eTool is a web-based LCA platform for whole-building and infrastructure projects, including embodied carbon assessments. It overlaps with BEAM's carbon footprint estimation functionality and is often used by green building consultants and certification professionals.

Emerging players

• Architecture 2030: Architecture 2030 is a non-profit driving the zero-carbon buildings agenda and the 2030 Challenge, with research and tools targeting embodied carbon. It is a peer in mission and adjacent in tools/policy advocacy for embodied carbon reduction in buildings.
• Carbon Leadership Forum: Carbon Leadership Forum is a research and industry network developing data, methods, and policies for embodied carbon reduction. BfCA's Director co-authored CLF reports, and CLF is a peer in producing carbon-storing materials research and methodology.

Regional players

• Passive Buildings Canada: Passive Buildings Canada is a Canadian non-profit that collaborated with BfCA on the EMBARC study of 500+ Toronto homes. It is a regional peer and partner in the same low-rise residential decarbonization space, with complementary performance-building focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/builders-for-climate-action

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Builders for Climate Action