Portland Cement Association releases carbon neutrality roadmap

The Portland Cement Association (PCA) unveiled a roadmap to carbon neutrality as a means to achieve carbon neutrality across the cement and concrete value chain by 2050.

Given the role of cement in society and anticipated infrastructure development, PCA says it is a critical step the industry must take to further reduce greenhouse gases and create sustainable building solutions in the decades to come.

The roadmap demonstrates how the U.S. cement and concrete industry, along with the entire value chain, can address climate change, decrease greenhouse gases and eliminate barriers that are restricting environmental progress.

“Cement and concrete have been pivotal in building resilient, durable and sustainable communities that enable people to live safe, productive and healthy lives via structures that withstand natural and manmade disasters,” says Michael Ireland, PCA president and CEO. “PCA is uniquely positioned to lead the industry-wide ambition to achieving carbon neutrality and enable our member companies and industry partners to continue building a better future.”

PCA’s roadmap outlines several reduction strategies and immediate opportunities across various phases of the build environment. These include production at the cement plant, construction (including designing and building) and everyday infrastructure in use.

Across the cement-concrete-construction value chain, the PCA roadmap recognizes five main areas of opportunity: clinker, cement, concrete, construction and carbonation. Each phase of the value chain is integral to reaching the goal, PCA, and can unlock unique and specific pathways to carbon neutrality, including actions such as reducing carbon dioxide from the manufacturing process, decreasing combustion emissions by changing fuel sources and shifting toward increased use of renewable electricity.

“Achieving carbon neutrality across the entire value chain by 2050 will require industry development of an entirely new set of metrics, means and methods to track the industry’s roadmap progress,” says Eric Holand, PCA climate and sustainability council co-chair and U.S. CEO of National Cement Co. “Once we have established effective measurement, PCA companies are committed to transparently demonstrating.”

Adds Ron Henley, chairman of PCA’s board of directors and president of GCC of America: “Drawing on the expertise from producing the majority of cement in the U.S., PCA member companies felt strong partnerships across the industry to identify challenges manufacturers face and the opportunities and potential solutions in achieving carbon neutrality. We also understand the unequivocal value external collaborators have in implementing and moving sustainable solutions forward, and we are committed to working alongside government, science and technology leaders to bring our roadmap to life.”