A Proposed Evaluation Framework for New and Emerging Low-Embodied-Carbon Concrete Technologies

The past decade has seen rapid innovation in building materials to decarbonize new construction. With the explosion in choice, builders, investors, and other decisionmakers need a standard approach for evaluating how new and emerging emission-reducing technologies could affect buildings’ lifecycle carbon impacts. 

We propose a framework for assessing low-embodied-carbon concrete. Although relatively low in embodied emissions compared to building materials such as steel, concrete accounts for 8% of today’s global greenhouse gas emissions because it is so widely used. But new types of concrete that could reduce these emissions are becoming available. Our framework proposes evaluating these technologies based on five primary, or “must have,” attributes: embodied carbon level, technology development stage, cost of implementation compared to business as usual, market size, and scalability. We discuss how to use the framework, illustrate an example assessment, and provide a short case study of a promising technology. We also discuss next steps for refining and implementing the framework, including the need to standardize measurement and validation and obtain buy-in.