In March, the Biden Administration announced an investment of $6 billion aimed at addressing climate change through decarbonization and emissions reduction. The funds are part of the Biden administration’s Investing in America agenda and will go to fund 33 projects across 20 states.
The investment is part of a larger goal to reduce US emissions 50-52 percent in efforts to cap global warming rates at 1.5oC by 2030. According to a statement by the US Depart of Energy, “The projects will focus on the highest emitting industries where decarbonization technologies will have the greatest impact, including aluminum and other metals, cement and concrete, chemicals and refining, iron and steel, and more.”
$1.6 Billion to Decarbonize Concrete
Of the total investment, the concrete industry will receive $1.6 billion across 6 projects. The funds support projects bolstering advanced and emerging technologies aimed at reduction and capture of emissions. These efforts are also backed by internet industry titans like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates and are expected to create significant, high-quality jobs which will not only boost the economy but also keep America at the forefront of manufacturing.
Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world—and for good reason. It’s durable, energy efficient, and accessible. The materials and methods needed to make concrete are easy to source and execute. Unfortunately, the high heat required, combined with concrete’s component materials—like limestone—releases a considerable amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. In fact, concrete is one of the largest sources of emissions globally. But new technology is changing that.
The Carbon Net-Negative Future of Concrete
The new technologies are revolutionizing a traditionally emissions-heavy production method that dates back thousands of years and are setting the stage for a carbon net-negative industry. Some producers are utilizing silicate-based rocks like basalt to avoid the carbon-heavy limestone. Others are using traditional production methods but capturing the CO2 to prevent it from being released in atmosphere. These new technologies and production methods are on track to reduce industry emissions by 4 million metric tons annually.
The $6 billion investment across carbon-heavy industries is expected to reduce more than 14 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year—which is roughly equal to the annual emissions of 3 million gasoline-powered cars.
SCMA is Committed to Sustainability
The investment by the federal government is welcome news. SCMA has long been committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the concrete industry. SCMA members have committed to reducing their emissions and some have even begun implementing strategies to mitigate carbon output. The technological advances to reduce emissions is an exciting development in the concrete masonry industry as it allows us to steward our planet and our communities to an even greater extent.