Report makes recommendations to drive carbon from concrete

The report’s most optimistic scenario suggests the concrete industry could become a carbon sink – absorbing more greenhouse gases than it emits – in the 2040s.

The Low Carbon Concrete Routemap, a collaboration between experts across the concrete and construction sector, has been published by the Green Construction Board and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The report lays out three decarbonisation routes to 2050 based on what action the industry takes and how fast carbon sequestration in concrete advances. Even under the most modest route, emissions are expected to fall from 10 million tonnes CO₂e in 2022 to five million tonnes in 2035.

In a statement, Andrew Mullholland, chair of the Low-Carbon Concrete Group and co-author of the report, said: “The next 10-15 years are critical in driving the carbon out of concrete. There are steps we can all take immediately to minimise the quantity of concrete we use and the carbon intensity of production, and this change should be driven by clients. This will require motivation and substantial effort from across the industry.”