The Welsh Government has set a pathway of decreasing targets for embodied carbon on publicly funded projects. In this session, we will describe what embodied carbon is, how to divide these targets between different elements of a building so they can be effectively measured and managed through the design process, and how they can be met by adapting traditional construction methods to manage risk and embrace innovation. The session will also explore how thoughtful material choices can contribute to carbon reduction and how these strategies can deliver long-term benefits for building occupiers, including improved comfort, wellbeing, and operational efficiency.