Whole building life cycle assessment, or WBLCA, estimates the net impact of constructing and operating a building. Recent industry trends emphasize material selection based on embodied carbon reductions, which could undermine the potential of continued operational carbon reductions and a holistic strategy to address building sector decarbonization. In lieu of a WBLCA, an interim “total carbon” approach can serve as a step toward better decision making. This approach quantifies a material or product’s net emissions of embodied carbon and operational carbon benefits realized during a building’s operational phase.