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Sustainable built environment has been of interest to many stakeholders in the recent years. However, life cycle economic performance as one of the key dimensions of sustainability has not been sufficiently investigated for buildings constructed using off-site construction methods such as modular construction. This research has proposed a framework to benchmark the life cycle economic sustainability of single-family modular homes. First, suitable economic performance criteria were selected and suitable measurable economic performance indicators were developed under each criterion. A performance level function was established for each indicator by which all indicators can be calculated and presented by a normalized performance level that enables combining quantitative and qualitative indicators. Subsequently, a multi-criteria decision analysis-based methodology was employed to develop a set of economic sustainability indices at the criteria level and also at the overall economic sustainability performance level. To compare and contrast the developed indices of a given modular building with the performance of similar conventional buildings, suitable performance benchmarks scales were established using the data of the historical economic performances of conventional homes. To examine the application of the proposed framework, two case study modular homes in British Columbia, Canada were analyzed. The results showed that both benchmarking homes performed 'Excellent' with respect to the overall economic sustainability. However, improvements are required to enhance the economic performance with respect to a number of criteria. The proposed framework can assist the construction decision makers, developers, and contractors with making informed decisions on the selection of the construction method. Furthermore, it can be used to address the underperforming areas over the life cycle of a modular building, even if the decision on the construction method has already been made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ever-increasing anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide make it quite challenging to meet country-specific Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets. Therefore, it is evident that the existing emissions abatement measures need to be taken a step further. Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) are allowed in Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement as a cooperative approach to achieving NDC goals. There is a potential to create ITMOs between Canada and China by replacing coal use in China with British Columbia (BC)'s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply. Replacing coal with LNG in energy generation applications is a promising approach to mitigate emissions. With global and national pressures to reduce emissions, China has created a market for LNG imports to cater to its rising natural gas (NG) consumption due to the coal-to-gas source switching strategy. However, the terms under Article 6.2 requires generated ITMOs to ensure environmental integrity, support sustainable development goals, and have a robust accounting system. Therefore, the current study aims to quantify the life cycle environmental outcomes of generating ITMOs by exporting LNG from BC to Chinese end-users while integrating uncertainties and to provide policy recommendations in adherence with the requirements of Article 6.2. Different LNG export scenarios were generated in the study and environmental impacts of each scenario were assessed and compared using a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework developed by the authors. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were conducted to understand the impacts created by the data uncertainties in the final result. By replacing conventional coal with NG, approximately 40–45% and 26%–32% emissions reductions can be obtainable for Chinese textile and chemical industries, respectively. The highest emissions reduction of approximately 60% was observed when coal is replaced with NG for district heating. The life cycle emissions (LCE) quantification framework provided in the study provides stakeholders with a systematic approach to determine the total GHG emissions and emissions reduction potential of different LNG export scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]