Washington, D.C. — As policymakers globally strive to reduce carbon emissions, attention is turning to concrete, the second-most widely used material after water. The cement and concrete industry significantly contributes to climate change, accounting for 8 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
A recent report from the Center for American Progress outlines how numerous companies are investing in low-emission cement and concrete manufacturing technologies. In the United States, the Department of Energy has allocated $1.6 billion to several decarbonization projects in this sector, projected to cut 4 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. These grants are part of a program funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Globally, networks of concrete producers have committed to shared decarbonization goals. Notable groups include the Decarbonized Cement and Concrete Alliance (DC2) in the United States, the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete in Europe, and the Global Cement and Concrete Association, which represents 80 percent of the global cement industry outside China.
To sustain this progress, the report recommends that policymakers enact and expand policies aimed at reducing emissions from cement and concrete. Suggested measures include public procurement policies such as “Buy Clean,” tax incentives for clean materials, and standards for carbon intensity or embodied emissions of cement products.
The federal government is also encouraged to continue investing in zero-emission technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS) to reduce emissions at existing facilities in the short term. For low-income countries where CCS is cost-prohibitive, it is recommended that the United States support limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) through international financing collaborations and multilateral platforms to enhance technical capacity support and expedite technology deployment.
“The climate crisis cannot be solved without eradicating emissions from heavy manufactured goods such as cement,” said Jamie Friedman, policy analyst on the Domestic Climate team at CAP and author of the report. “It is time to invest more and push for deeper ambition from countries and companies around the world to rapidly reduce emissions from the cement and concrete sector.”
For further information or expert consultations, contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].
