Sustainable Concrete: Rethink Concrete for a Greener Future

Thanks to new technologies and innovative materials, sustainable concrete is transforming the construction industry, reducing its environmental impact without compromising strength or durability. Discover how this alternative can help build a greener future. 🌱✨ 

Did you know that by 2030, the demand for green or sustainable materials will grow 4.5x? You heard that right, especially driven by the automotive & construction industries. To meet the 2050 decarbonization targets, innovative technologies that turn construction materials such as concrete into a more sustainable, eco-friendly, or greener material could make all the difference. 

Let’s take a closer look at the transformative role of sustainable concrete in construction! 

Is concrete a sustainable material?

Concrete, steel, chemicals, and aluminum—along with the ships, planes, and trucks that transport them—are the backbone of the global economy. However, they also account for 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Construction is one of the industries racing to reduce harmful emissions from its operations, and its future competitive landscape will be shaped by those who can most effectively lower carbon capture and storage costs.  

Concrete is a strong and durable building material made from a mix of Portland cement, water, and aggregates such as sand, gravel, and rocks. Its longevity makes it essential for sustainable construction, but its biggest environmental challenge lies in cement production—a highly polluting process that generates 3 gigatons of greenhouse gases globally each year. 

*Fun fact: A gigaton of CO2 is equivalent to about 2.7K times the weight of the Empire State Building. 

It’s important to note that cement is a hard-to-abate sector requiring scaling breakthrough technologies, such as CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage), to an industrial level to reach net-zero. However, significant reductions in cement and concrete emissions can be achieved in the near term by leveraging existing technologies, using lower-carbon cement blends, and adopting design techniques that minimize the carbon footprint of structures. 

So, the short answer to whether concrete is a sustainable material requires us to dig deeper into this complex concept… 

What is the key difference between sustainable concrete and traditional concrete?

The main differences between sustainable concrete—also known as “green concrete”—and traditional concrete are as follows: 

• It is a more durable version of concrete. 

• It requires less energy for production. 

• It generates only a fraction of the carbon footprint compared to Portland cement. 

• This eco-friendly version of concrete is made using recycled industrial waste from the coal industry through a geopolymeric process. 

The result is more sustainable concrete alternatives, capable of replacing OPC while maintaining impressive strength and durability. 

3 methods to improve concrete sustainability

As we mentioned earlier, understanding how to make concrete more sustainable starts with making cement more eco-friendly. Here’s how: 

Clinker down, sustainability up

Clinker, the main ingredient in cement, is behind 90% of its emissions. 

While we don’t yet have a way to completely replace clinker on a large scale, there are ways to cut its use significantly. One promising solution is LC3 (Limestone Calcined Clay Cement), which can lower CO2 emissions by about 40%. LC3 swaps out half the clinker for calcined clay and ground limestone—materials that don’t release carbon when heated. Plus, clay needs less heat, which means using less fuel and even switching to electricity instead of fossil fuels. 

Moving beyond fossil fuels

Switching fuels and using electricity are key to cutting emissions from energy use in cement production. By partially heating the kilns with clean electricity and replacing fossil fuels with low-carbon alternatives, it’s possible to reduce reliance on coal and make the process more sustainable. Low-carbon fuel alternatives, common in various industries, include near-term drop-in options like biomass and plastic waste, as well as longer-term solutions such as green hydrogen. 

For example, HiiROC, a cutting-edge clean hydrogen technology startup from our investment portfolio, has developed an innovative process for low-cost, zero-CO2-emission hydrogen production. Cemex partnered with the UK-based startup to scale its injection into cement production and increase the substitution rate of fossil fuels in a first-of-its-kind project at its Rugby cement plant. 

Capturing carbon

Point-source carbon capture is a major way to cut emissions in cement and concrete production. This process traps and stores CO2 from large sources, like power plants or factories, keeping it out of the atmosphere. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) typically involves three key stages, while carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is streamlined into just two. 

According to the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), the CCUS process could lower the industry’s carbon emissions by 36%, making it the most impactful solution for reducing emissions. 

Innovations in sustainable concrete

Sustainable concrete innovations are revolutionizing the way we build. These are some cutting-edge examples:   

Geopolymer concrete

It is a prime example of sustainable concrete. This variant stands out for using industrial by-products, such as fly ash and blast furnace slag, instead of cement. By doing so, it significantly reduces carbon emissions compared to conventional methods and decreases reliance on limited natural resources.  

This environmentally friendly material offers a range of advantages over traditional concrete. For instance, it can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90% and help prevent these industrial by-products from ending up in landfills by putting them to clever use. 

➡️ Curious to know more? Can concrete be recycled? 

Self-healing concrete

Self-healing concrete is a trailblazer for green construction. It fixes its own cracks, extending the life of structures while saving money and reducing waste. The secret? Tiny capsules inside the concrete release healing agents when cracks appear, triggering a reaction that seals the damage. With this breakthrough solution, maintenance costs drop, and also the need for constant repairs or replacements. 

Translucent concrete

Green concrete innovations go beyond cutting CO2 emissions or boosting durability—they’re also about creating visually striking structures that harmonize with their surroundings.  

Take translucent concrete, for example. Embedding optical fibers into the mix lets natural light flow through while staying strong, making it ideal for energy-efficient buildings designed to maximize daylight.  

Cemex Ventures is on a mission to enhance concrete’s sustainability 

Cemex Ventures is seeking solutions to make construction more sustainable. In fact, one of the startups we’re highlighting is MIXTERESTING, part of the 2nd edition cohort from our exclusive startup accelerator, Cemex Ventures Leaplab: 

MIXTERESTING

The Austrian startup—one of the winners in the Green Construction category of Construction Startup Competition 2024—has developed software that enables its customers to create CO2-efficient concrete by digitally simulating the mixing process, accelerating the development cycle by up to 10 times. This allows them to achieve 5-7% higher margins through more efficient and innovative concrete mixes while reducing CO2 emissions by up to 20% through performance-based optimization. 

Stay tuned for the upcoming launch of the Cleantech Construction Map 2025, and keep up with the latest Contech news by subscribing to our biweekly Contech Tacos newsletter!