Material Comparison Calculator
Compare the production + freight CO₂ of two materials — on a functional basis (you enter the mass each needs for the same job) or by equal mass. Verified factors, comparability checked, caveats shown. No “greenest material” score.
How this works — and its limits
Production CO₂ = quantity × the verified cradle-to-gate factor for each material. Freight CO₂ uses the same tonne-kilometre method (and the same factors) as the Freight CO₂ calculator. The tool consults MatQuo’s comparability matrix before comparing: a per-kg value and a per-m² value, or a cradle-to-gate and a cradle-to-cradle value, are not compared numerically. Cross-material pairs are only shown with the methodological differences spelled out, and only make sense once you enter the mass of each material needed for the same function — because equal mass is not equal function. Module D (steel end-of-life credit) is never netted into production here. The tool never declares a winner; where one scenario is lower it is stated only as a percentage under the assumptions you entered.