The Portland Cement Association (PCA) unveiled its near-term goals and 2022 focus for the cement and concrete industry’s Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, a plan to make the entire value chain carbon neutral by 2050, at last week’s 2022 World of Concrete in Las Vegas.
Following the launch of the Roadmap in October 2021, the association’s focus this year will be on the metrics it needs to measure progress in the concrete and construction phases and calling on stakeholders to help define these metrics and remove barriers. PCA will also factor in the importance of defining green procurement measures and education, especially with increased demand from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the need to view this procurement in life cycle and sustainability terms.
“Cement and concrete play a critical role in future-proofing our communities against natural and man-made disasters, and we are in a moment where we have both the opportunity and the duty to do so sustainably. PCA has charted a pathway to carbon neutrality through the Roadmap for the entire concrete value chain. Our nation’s cement manufacturers have come together to reduce the sector’s CO2 emissions but achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 requires collaboration across the entire value chain,” said PCA President and CEO Mike Ireland.
PCA Vice President of Sustainability Rick Bohan added, “Securing the future of the cement and concrete industries as the leading building material in this new era of sustainability means we must innovate and collaborate our way to carbon neutrality. PCA members are already working together on steps to further reduce cement industry emissions, but the next critical step is for the concrete sector to join us in this vital effort. It is on us to proactively make these changes, as the world will not wait for our industries to catch up.”
The PCA roadmap involves the entire value chain, starting at the cement plant and extending through the entire life cycle of the built environment to incorporate the circular economy. View the full PCA Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality here.
