Helen Clarkson, Climate Group CEO,
launches ConcreteZero in Canary Wharf, London, UK
Helen Clarkson, CEO of Climate Group, in partnership with the World GBC and WBCSD, launched the ConcreteZero initiative in London, UK, yesterday with the aim to drive climate action fast and net zero carbon emissions for the cement and concrete sectors.
“ConcreteZero will create prosperity for all, by forming networks of businesses and governments together to really unlock the power of collective action,” said Ms Clarkson, “This is to move whole systems such as energy, transport and the built environment and heavy industries to a clearer future.”
Together the Climate Group is working to shift global markets and policies to help faster reductions in global emissions. “ConcreteZero marks a step up for our heavy industry programme allowing a double-down on the highest emitting sectors and to get them on track to net zero,” added Ms Clarkson.
The group is focussed on concrete rather than cement, because concrete is a material that can influence a portion of one of the key ingredients which is cement. The initiative is driven from the demand side rather than by suppliers. “ConcreteZero intends to send a strong signal to cement producers that there is a market for net zero solutions,” she stated.
Each member has committed to setting an ambitious target of net zero concrete by 2050 and two interim targets of using 30 per cent lower emission concrete by 2025 and 50 per cent lower emission concrete by 2030. The real game changer Ms Clarkson said was “that all businesses that sign up to ConcreteZero are committed to measure and report on the carbon emissions of the concrete.”
At the moment there is no standard definition of what low-emission and net zero concrete is and so the Climate Group will use its data to set industry definitions and strengthen benchmarks to bring clarity to businesses, governments and investors to accelerate action right across the supply chain.
Better collaboration and stronger partnerships will drive the industry towards net zero faster. A total of 17 businesses have signed up to ConcreteZero, including: Byrne Brothers, Canary Wharf Group, Careys Group, Clancy Group, Grimshaw Architects, Grosvenor, Joseph Homes, Laing O’Rourke, Mace, Morrisroe Group, Multiplex Construction Europe, Ramboll, Skanska UK, Thornton Tomasetti, Willmott-Dixon and WSP Property & Buildings UK.
The Climate Group will expand ConcreteZero to other countries such as the USA, India, The Netherlands as it has done with SteelZero.
As an example of low-carbon concrete, Canary Wharf Group and O’Halloran & O’Brien described the Wood Wharf residential tower building of JI33 and E3E4, in London, which has just had a 580m3 concrete pour supplied by London Concrete’s (Aggregate Industries - Holcim Group) ECOPact GGBS concrete which has a 70 per cent reduced CO2 emission with carbon offsets to OPC.
