Cement production makes more CO2 than all the trucks in the world

Whenever anyone complains about the carbon footprint of making cement and how it is responsible for 7 percent of the world’s CO2 emissions, the industry responds, saying, “We’re working on it!” And it’s true, they are. But as Vanessa Dezem writes in Bloomberg, that doesn’t mean anyone is buying it, or that the customers care.

Cement is used everywhere and it is responsible
for seven per cent of the world's CO2 emissions.

“There is so far too little demand for sustainable materials,” said Jens Diebold, head of sustainability at LafargeHolcim. “I would love to see more demand from customers for it. There is limited sensitivity for carbon emissions in the construction of a building.”

The article is particularly interesting because it shows that the problem of Upfront Carbon Emissions is finally going mainstream and getting on the radar.

While architects and developers concentrate on the energy used by their buildings, it’s actually the materials supporting the structure that embody the biggest share of its lifetime carbon footprint. Cement’s contribution to emissions is especially immense because of the chemical process required to make it.

Until now, nobody really cared. LafargeHolcim tried selling a carbon-free cement but “customers were 'very price sensitive' and didn’t show interest.”

Read the Treehugger story by Lloyd Alter - “Cement production makes more CO2 than all the trucks in the world.”