A new U.S. coalition targeting the accelerated adoption of carbon-reducing solutions in infrastructure has launched with 10 companies.
The Decarbonized Cement and Concrete Alliance (DC2) seeks to reduce emissions in cement and concrete and advocate for new ways to create low-carbon construction materials. Concrete makes up 8% of overall emissions and as an essential building material, it is commonly used. The DC2 aims to address future capacity needs by scaling up the industrial base, creating new clean cement and concrete jobs, as well as promoting environmental justice through an industry-wide transition.
The 10 founding members of the alliance include: Biomason, Blue Planet Systems, Brimstone, CarbonBuilt, Chement, Fortera, Minus Materials, Queens Carbon, Sublime Systems, and Terra CO2. Each of these companies are North American venture- and private-sector-backed climate technology companies that are focused on delivering carbon reduction solutions for concrete and cement.
“A future net-zero carbon economy depends on eliminating the 8% of global emissions from cement and concrete,” Simon Brandler, of Brimstone, said in a statement. “That's why it's so critical for climate leaders to join forces and push for policies that accelerate the commercial path for transformational low-carbon cement and concrete technologies. That's what DC2 is all about."
The alliance companies collectively re-engineer production processes and feedstocks, introduce novel materials, and even sequester carbnon directly into concrete. Cement has been used as a carbon capture and storage solution and touted as a means to decarbonize the sector.
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The alliance says it will work to actively shape policies to expedite the use of new low-carbon cement and concrete products in public infrastructure. More than 50% of concrete purchases across federal, state, and municipal agencies in the U.S. are for the public sector.
One such example is the recently introduced Concrete and Asphalt Innovation Act, which would enable the Department of Transportation to purchase low-carbon concrete products up to three years before they are available. The strategy would accelerate the development and market entry of the materials.
“In order to unlock the exponential climate benefit of the DC2 members’ technologies, we must overcome the industry’s temptation to embrace incrementalism,” said Sal Brzozowski of CarbonBuilt. “DC2’s platform of robust policy, standards, and incentives to scale innovative solutions will not only accelerate deep decarbonization, but also transform the concrete industry from one of the world’s largest CO2 emitters to one of the world’s largest carbon sinks.”
