Northwestern University researchers, in partnership with ClimateWorks Foundation, have developed a new blueprint for reducing carbon emissions in concrete, the world’s most-used building material.

The report, “Decarbonizing Concrete: Deep decarbonization pathways for the cement and concrete cycle in the United States, India and China,” was published today (March 16) on ClimateWorks’ website. It highlights multiple ways — including production-size mitigation measures and demand reduction by use of lean construction and sustainable building materials — to drive the cement industry toward net-zero emissions by 2050.

“One clear conclusion we arrived at in the course of our research is that there is no single solution, but rather a range of small and large changes that will be necessary to achieve net-zero emission targets,” said Eric Masanet, the project’s principal investigator.

At the time of the research, Masanet was an associate professor of mechanical, chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering. He now is the Duncan and Suzanne Mellichamp Chair in Sustainable Science for Emerging Technologies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. 

The second most-used substance in the world after water, concrete is responsible for almost 10% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. The demand for it also continues to rise globally, especially in China, India and the United States.

Keep reading on the Northwestern University website