The Cement Association of Canada (CAC), together with its members and partners in the concrete sector, has released Concrete Zero, an Action Plan to ensure Canada’s cement and concrete industry achieves its carbon emissions reduction goals by making cement net-zero by 2050. 

The Concrete Zero Action plan shows that greater emissions reductions are possible, claims CAC. Relying on developed and proven technologies and processes, ConcreteZero is about finding “true” net-zero emissions. “It will require many actions, from changing the way we make cement, to imagining new ways of designing and constructing our infrastructure,“ says CAC. 

Decarbonisation pathways for the cement industry include:
• eliminating the use of coal and petcoke through increased use of lower-carbon and alternative fuels
• increased use of alternative and blended cements
• improving thermal efficiency
• investing in carbon capture, utilisation, and uptake technologies
• increasing use of clean energy, including electricity and zero-emission commercial vehicles and heavy equipment
• advocating for performance-based codes and standards, specifications, procurement policies, and increased material efficiency in construction.