Every Step Matters The United Nations and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change both stress the critical importance of achieving a 65% reduction in global emissions by 2030 to achieve safer levels of carbon emissions and a healthier climate for our future. Motivation These goals have inspired bold commitments from Architecture 2030 to reduce the global warming potential of materials by 65% or better by 2030 and to zero by 2040. Further, SE 2050 commits to eliminate embodied carbon in projects by 2050.
Step One on the Carbon Neutrality Roadmap Adopting PLC is the first of nine levers identified by the California cement industry’s Carbon Neutrality Plan. With the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045, it is the lever that architects and engineers can pull first to reduce CO2 impacts. See the industry’s transformational Carbon Neutrality Plan on the CNCA website at cncement.org. Measuring Impact of CO2 Savings Measurement of impacts is vital. CNCA has created a calculator for identifying CO2 reduction through PLC on projects. Architects and engineers can use this tool to envision the wider-scale effects. Benefits are magnified when a firm applies these metrics throughout an entire portfolio of projects. Combined Carbon Reduction Potential
An action to reduce embodied carbon today by up to 10% may not appear significant at first glance, but its impact will be profound.
There are many ways to reduce the carbon impacts of concrete. Mix designs with PLC are very compatible with all Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM) such as fly ash or slag that reduce the carbon intensity of concrete as well as emerging carbon reduction technologies.
Small Changes Make a Big Difference
We Are Here to Help
As the foundation of modern society, concrete is the most widely used construction material on earth. No alternative building material can contribute as much to meeting the needs of the increasing global population and urbanization.
CNCA is available to assist with resources and technical guidance for specifying PLC. For more information, contact Tim or Nathan.
The concrete formulation itself can provide significant climate change mitigation. Even small changes to its formulation can dramatically affect the construction industry’s carbon footprint over time. By preferring the use of Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) in material specification, architects and engineers will enable game-changing reductions in CO2 emissions.
Tim Blake, Assoc. AIA – Consultant 408.888.4490 tim@timblakeconsulting.com Nathan Forrest, P.E. – Technical Director 520.235.0480 nathan.forrest@cncement.org