Tuesday 5 July 2022

Construction firms pledge to buy only net zero concrete by 2050

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.”