Embodied carbon is increasingly integrated into existing and new climate policy and decarbonization roadmaps as geographies take strides in achieving climate targets. This transition reflects a consensus in recognizing the scale of environmental impacts and decarbonization potential associated with the material supply, selection and design of the buildings we construct. An effective policy is one that leads to change. As such, decarbonization policies need to consider the perspectives and challenges faced by the parties that will be impacted by the policies themselves. For policies that target embodied carbon metrics, this includes all parties involved in the supply and demand of building materials and the design and construction of the buildings themselves. To support California in developing embodied carbon policies, we have conducted a survey to ascertain the risks, barriers and opportunities surrounding decarbonization of materials used in new building construction. The anonymous survey has been administered using Qualtrics with questions tailored to respondents based on whether they represent supply (material suppliers, manufacturers) or demand-side (architects, engineers, contractors, developers, etc.) perspectives. The preliminary results highlight conflicting prioritization of materials for decarbonization efforts when compared to national initiatives. For instance, flat glass was given a low priority by architects, engineers and sustainability consultants despite being a high priority material for decarbonization efforts at the national level. The responses provide a foundation for developing targeted interventions—such as data infrastructure, procurement and mitigation incentives, and design guidelines—that can advance decarbonization initiatives within California. The survey results can be used to better inform decarbonization policies that incorporate embodied carbon considerations and ease implementation amongst the variety of stakeholders present within the built environment.