Various construction and property companies have agreed to only buy net zero concrete by 2050.

These 17 companies have been come together with the help of the Climate Group – and include big industry players such as Skanska, Willmott Dixon and LendLease.

Concrete accounts for 8% of global carbon emissions and these businesses have agreed that one-third of the concrete they use by 2025 will be low-emission, with this rising to half by 2030.

This group has been based on previous unions including the Net Zero Green Steel Initiative.

Currently, low carbon concrete isn’t available on a large scale due to the manufacturing process being inherently carbon intensive. However, improving durability by adding graphene – so that less concrete is needed in buildings – and electrifying the production process for cement have been touted as ways to cut some of the emissions associated with it.

Helen Clarkson from the Climate Group, said: “Concrete is a huge part of global emissions. What we are aiming to do is put a really big collective demand signal there, which gives confidence to innovators, to investors. It’s about saying the market is coming for zero-carbon solutions and we’re ready to buy it.”