In an industry long plagued by fragmented data, delayed decisions and missed opportunities, Mainer Associates wanted to create a new tool designed to shift the entire dynamic of carbon management. Enter CarbonCentric - a field-proven, consultant-designed app solution, built to bring real-time management of up-front carbon into the heart of construction and built-environment delivery.

The challenge: Fragmented carbon data, late interventions

For many construction projects, managing carbon remains a reactive exercise. Spreadsheets bounce between stakeholders, data is bulleted together after decisions have already been made, and often there’s no “golden thread” of audit-trail across design, procurement, construction and hand-over. The result: carbon targets may be missed, risks increased, and early-stage opportunities lost.

The key problems include:

Lack of real-time carbon data.
Fragmented or siloed spreadsheets across supply-chain and contractor teams.
Offline, inconsistent information flows.
No cohesive audit trail between design decisions and material choices.
Specifications being locked-in too early, which limits flexibility to optioneer for lower carbon variations.
As a result: carbon targets may be missed, and regulatory or reputational risks accumulate (especially under evolving ESG, planning, and building-control regimes).

In short: The time to intervene for meaningful carbon savings is often earlier than when carbon data is traditionally gathered - and the industry has lacked the connectivity and insight for that.

The solution: CarbonCentric

CarbonCentric was created to fill that gap. It is a “real-time carbon data” platform and supply-chain engagement tool.

Key features include:

Contractor-unique login: Each contractor or subcontractor receives their own access to input data, ensuring accountability and visibility.
Pre-populated data: Supporting quantities, distances, EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) and other relevant inputs are built into the system, removing much of the manual burden.
Real-time dashboard: Live feed of carbon data across the project, enabling teams to monitor performance continuously rather than wait for end-stage reporting.
Interactive bubble-map visualisation: The app allows for phased tracking across project lifecycle (concept design → technical design → construction → post-completion → in-use → end-of-life) to highlight where carbon interventions can still be meaningful.
Supply-chain engagement: Rather than treating carbon as a “set-and-forget” target, the tool encourages ongoing collaboration and data-sharing across contractor, subcontractor and consultant teams.

Why it matters: earlier, smarter decisions

Perhaps the most compelling value of CarbonCentric is its ability to enable earlier intervention. Because carbon decisions often lock in very early (e.g., structural systems, material specifications), having live visibility allows teams to optioneer - that is, explore low-carbon alternatives while change is still feasible.

“The app supports carbon management through the supply chain during Stage 4, where interventions can still make a meaningful impact. It adds significant value - not only through measurable carbon savings but also because it is a scalable solution that enhances the ability to deliver low-carbon projects in future.”

By shifting carbon management from post-hoc reporting to live decision-support, the app aims to turn carbon from a “tick-box” exercise into a strategic asset.

Early results speak volumes

Concrete performance data from completed and on-site projects using CarbonCentric have already given an average carbon savings of 323 kg CO₂e/m² across various projects.

These results hint at the potential for substantial impact - when the system is used to identify material choices, distances, design-decisions and supply-chain flows early, savings of the order of hundreds of kilos per square metre become realistic.

Built by consultants, for the supply-chain

CarbonCentric was developed by consultant teams in close collaboration with contractors and the supply-chain. It born out of collaboration between consultant teams & the supply‐chain to address the struggle of managing carbon data.

This collaboration helps the tool respond to real-world workflow issues - from data entry burdens to changing specifications - rather than being a theoretical add-on.

The emphasis on supply-chain engagement is important. Many carbon-management systems rely on designers or consultants alone; by bringing contractors and subcontractors into the loop with their own logins and dashboards, CarbonCentric promotes accountability, shared ownership and earlier alignment - all of which are key when you’re working to manage carbon across a project lifecycle.

What this means for clients of Mainer Associates

For Mainer Associates’ existing clients, the launch of CarbonCentric presents a clear value-proposition: you’re not just buying a consulting service , you’re gaining access to a dedicated tool designed to integrate with your project workflows, supply-chains and carbon-governance regime. Some practical implications include:

Improved transparency and audit-trail: With real-time dashboards and contractor logins, you have a permanent record of carbon input, choices and outcomes.
Supply-chain alignment: Subcontractors can contribute data directly, reducing lag and improving accuracy.
Early-stage intervention: With insights available at design/technical stages, you can explore lower-carbon options before lock-in.
Scalability: The app is scalable, meaning once configured for one project, you can roll it forward across multiple programmes of work.

Looking ahead: towards a low-carbon future

As the built-environment faces tightening regulations, increasing client and investor pressures, and material-supply risks, having a tool like CarbonCentric helps position firms not simply to comply - but to lead. Real-time data, supply-chain collaboration, and decision-support aren’t just “nice-to-have” anymore; they are fast becoming differentiators in the race to decarbonise.

simply put we are “Turning Challenge into Opportunity.”

With CarbonCentric, Mainer Associates is signalling a shift: carbon management is no longer a rear-view mirror exercise. It is a forward-looking, value-creating part of project delivery.

Final thought

If you’re part of a project team - whether as a developer, contractor, consultant or supply-chain partner - and you’ve been grappling with how to get real-time, actionable carbon insight, CarbonCentric presents a compelling new option. It’s built for the realities of project delivery, for active supply-chain involvement, and for turning early-stage decisions into measurable carbon outcomes.

Mainer Associates invite clients to book a demo and see how the app can be embedded into your upcoming project workflows. After all, the era of carbon-management catch-up is fast coming to an end - and real-time insight might be the step-change your project needs.

Book a demo now