“Releasing this industry-wide roadmap is an exciting and critical step toward carbon neutrality,” says CNCA Executive Director Tom Tietz. “However, we cannot get to net zero alone and this roadmap is also an invitation for state leaders, environmental groups and stakeholders throughout the cement-concrete-construction value chain to collaborate on pursuing this bold goal.” 

Many of the technologies, fuels, materials and processes for dramatically reducing the industry’s emissions footprint already exist, he adds. Statutory, regulatory and permitting hurdles, market acceptance barriers, cost challenges, supply limitations and technology gaps, nevertheless, delay or constrain their deployment and limit their impact.

“We are committed to providing innovative and sustainable solutions including low-carbon cement and concrete that are critical to a low carbon future and circular economy,” observes Allen Hamblen, president and CEO of CNCA member CalPortland Co. “We recognize there are no shortcuts to achieve carbon neutrality. We look forward to working with key policy and regulatory decision makers to urgently address barriers to emission reduction opportunities.”

The roadmap details key strategies for each pathway, CNCA citing these as the most immediate, impactful: 

• Caltrans acceptance of Portland-Limestone Cement. PLC uses more limestone to reduce emissions up to 10 percent while maintaining the integrity and performance of traditional cement. Currently, 34 other state departments of transportation have adopted it for their projects, yet PLC is not yet accepted for Caltrans-specified construction. The agency is one of the state’s largest consumers of cement; its approval of PLC would have broad impact and influence in many cities or counties, creating new markets for lower-carbon cement.

• Investment in carbon capture, usage and storage. A promising and critical long-term technology, CCUS can offer a carbon capture rate upward of 90 percent of process and combustion emissions, but projects are extremely capital intensive and lengthy permitting processes add uncertainty. Innovation-supportive policies that spur public and private investment are needed for research and development as carbon neutrality will be out of reach for the California cement industry until cost-effective CCUS technology is commercially available.

• Switching to lower emissions alternatives. Using engineered waste materials and biomass as cement kiln fuel would drive a substantial reduction in emissions while also diverting waste from landfills or incineration.“We are committed to decarbonizing over the next 24 years using this roadmap as our guide,” affirms Steve Wise, president of CNCA member National Cement of California. “The road to decarbonization can have exponential impact but can’t be done by one company alone.”