Email Templates for Specifiers

Easy-to-use, copy-and-paste email templates for communicating with manufacturers and suppliers about decarbonization goals

The ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Committee has developed easy-to-use email templates that landscape architects can use when reaching out to product manufacturers and material suppliers for product or material information. These email templates help landscape architects ask the right specification questions. 

These templates help landscape architects achieve the goals of Landscape Architecture 2040: Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan and start to apply the recommendations from Decarbonizing Specifications: A Guide for Landscape Architects, Specifiers, and Product Manufacturers. 

For Concrete Specifiers


Dear X, 

I am reaching out on behalf of firm xxx in my role as a concrete specifier. As part of our firm's commitment to the Landscape Architecture 2040: Climate and Biodiversity Action Plan, we are evaluating the materials, products, and specification practices that influence the environmental and social impacts of our projects. We seek to reduce the embodied carbon of the products and materials we specify and encourage responsible supply chain practices that protect both ecosystems and communities. 

Because achieving these goals requires collaboration across our industry, we are engaging manufacturers and suppliers to better understand how climate and biodiversity action and supply chain responsibility are reflected in your products and business practices.

We invite you to review the questions below and share information about your organization's efforts, commitments, and progress. 

While the enclosed questions focus on best practices for lower-carbon concrete, we welcome any additional approaches, innovations, or lessons learned that you believe can help advance these goals. 

We appreciate your partnership and welcome any questions you may have.

Best, 

Your first and last name 
TItle 
Firm 
Location 

Alternative cements and SCMs: Provide availability and pricing for blended cements and Supplementary Cementitious Materials including

  1. Type IL (Portland-limestone cement) — alternative for Type I, II or V
  2. Type IS (Portland-slag) — alternative for Type II
  3. LC3 (Limestone Calcined Clay) — alternative for Type II
  4. And Type IP (Portland-pozzolana) — alternative for Type I
  5. Type IT (Ternary Blended Cement) — alternative for Type II & V
  6. Granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) 
  7. Fly ash
  8. Silica fume
  9. Ground glass pozzolan
  10. If SCMs (items 6-9) are available, please let us know where they are sourced from. 

*Note for specifier: SCMs can be sourced from a significant distance away. If you are considering including them, ensure that the carbon cost of their transport isn’t canceling out the carbon benefits of their inclusion.

Aggregate: Is recycled aggregate (RCA) available for use? If not, is there aggregate available that is produced with environmental best practices including electrification of crushing and screening processes and the use of closed-loop water? 

Water: Can you use ASTM C1602-compliant, non-potable water instead of potable water in concrete mixes? Do you have any other policies in place to minimize use of potable water?

Facilities and fleet: 

  1. Is there a batch plant within xx miles of the project site that could be used to minimize transportation emissions? (Note for specifier: Target distances depend on location. Urban projects can often source concrete from within 10 miles of the project site. For rural projects, a more feasible goal may be 30 miles.) 
  2. Are any available batch plants powered by renewable energy or do they use energy-efficient kilns? 
  3. Do you have an electric or renewable-powered fleet of trucks or any plans to move to one? 

Reinforcement: Where rebar is required, do you use rebar with recycled content? (Our target is 95 to 97 percent recycled content) For non-exposed surfaces, can you install fiber reinforcement as an alternative to rebar? 

Forms: What practices do you have to minimize waste associated with forms? For example, do you use recycled lumber for forms or reuse forms?

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs): Do you have EPDs for rebar or concrete mixes? What is the recycled content included in the concrete mix (i.e. GGBS or fly ash)? Are there any other strategies, approaches, or materials that you are aware of in our region that could help us meet decarbonization goals? 

This template was developed by Sasha Anenome, ASLA, SALT Landscape Architects; Amy Syverson-Shaffer, ASLA, Landscape Forms; and Chris Hardy, ASLA, PLA, Sasaki. 

Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions or comments.