What is Concrete?
Concrete is the most widely used human-made material in the world, and the most-consumed resource after water. It’s made by combining water, cement, and aggregates like sand or gravel. As a building material that is integral to many construction projects, concrete is valued for its strength and durability. There’s a strong chance you’re sitting in a structure built with concrete as you read this!
Why Concrete?
The cement industry, which produces the key ingredient in concrete, produces an estimated 7% of the world’s CO₂ emissions and is the largest contributor to embodied carbon in the built environment. But the amount of concrete that is poured annually also presents us with an opportunity to permanently store immense quantities of carbon dioxide. CarbonCure has found a way to transform concrete into a proven pathway for carbon removal that is permanent, abundant and immediately accessible. And we do so while providing additional revenue and other co-benefits back to local communities.
How CarbonCure Works with Concrete
Concrete is made by combining water, cement and aggregates like sand or gravel. When carbon dioxide is introduced into this mix, it immediately reacts with the cement and mineralizes, effectively converting into nano-sized particles of limestone that are permanently embedded in the concrete.
Concrete as a Carbon Removal Pathway
Concrete Fast Facts
Concrete is the 2nd most used substance in the world after water
Cement production accounts for an estimated 7% of global CO2 emissions
There are 100,000+ concrete plants globally, with 5,000+ in the U.S. alone
CarbonCure reduces an average 15-25 lb of CO2 per cubic yard (7-11 kg per m3) of ready mix concrete
The Impact of Sustainable Concrete
Increased adoption of CarbonCure’s technologies allows concrete producers and their local communities to experience direct, positive outcomes.
Climate Action Incentivized
On average, producers using CarbonCure Ready Mix reduce cement content by roughly 5% with no compromise on concrete quality or performance. Carbon credit revenue, shared with producers by CarbonCure, creates an incentive to adopt these technologies and incorporate CO2 into more production—further driving down cement usage and carbon emissions.
Competitive Advantage
Concrete producers who use CarbonCure’s technologies are able to establish themselves as a sustainability leader in their communities and differentiate themselves from competitors.
More Green Jobs
With the ability to bid on and win more sustainable building projects, concrete producers also have the ability to create more green jobs in their local communities.
“There’s huge potential with concrete being 7% of global emissions today. CarbonCure has a solution that can scale to address it — that’s critical!”
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