Full Title: Concrete Solutions Guide: Six Actions to Lower the Embodied Carbon of Concrete
Author(s): Charles Cannon, Valentina Guido, Lachlan Wright
Publisher(s): Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)
Publication Date: August 27, 2021
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Concrete and cement are some of the most carbon-intensive materials in our built environment. The carbon “embodied” in concrete and other materials makes up more than one-quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions from the global building sector. These embodied carbon emissions arise from the manufacture, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials.
With efforts to reduce embodied carbon emissions in buildings and infrastructure, the demand for low-embodied-carbon concrete is growing rapidly.
The Concrete Solutions Guide provides a user-friendly overview of proven and scalable solutions to reduce concrete’s contribution to climate change. This guide highlights six key opportunities to reduce embodied carbon in concrete products without compromising financial or material performance.
Most of the solutions described are market-ready—the result of decades of research and real-world trials. In addition to helping advance the environmental goals of concrete purchasers, these solutions offer opportunities for producers to reduce costs and establish a leadership role in a changing industry.