GCCA Warns: Without Policy Support, Net-Zero Concrete Remains Out of Reach

The global concrete industry has steadily reduced its carbon footprint over the past thirty years, achieving a 25% drop in CO₂ emissions per tonne since 1990. But according to the latest assessment from the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), this progress will not be enough to meet the sector’s ambition of producing net zero concrete by 2050 without much stronger policy support.

Carbon capture in action at a modern industrial facility. AI generated picture.

The GCCA’s new report points out that companies have been advancing their decarbonisation plans, yet uneven regulatory conditions are slowing down the overall transition. As Thomas Guillot, Chief Executive of the GCCA, emphasises, ‘Despite our strong progress, we know that firm policy action across the world is fundamental to enabling us to accelerate our reductions.’

One of the key policy recommendations is the implementation of predictable, well-designed carbon pricing frameworks. The report states that ‘an appropriate carbon price, as well as long-term predictability of the carbon price, allows companies to make the investments needed to reduce their CO₂.’ It also urges policymakers to ensure that these measures do not place domestic manufacturers at a disadvantage, noting that ‘policymakers must ensure that use of carbon pricing does not lead to distortions of competition between domestic producers and importers.’

Beyond pricing, the analysis highlights carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) as indispensable for deep emissions cuts. Cement production is responsible for significant process emissions—mainly from the calcination of limestone—which cannot be avoided through renewable energy alone. The report reiterates this point clearly: ‘CCUS is a “critical lever” to decarbonise cement and concrete, because unlike other sectors, switching to renewable energy is not sufficient to deliver decarbonisation.’

However, CCUS deployment remains far too limited. Current policies, the GCCA warns, do not yet provide the scale of financial support, infrastructure, or market conditions needed for widespread adoption. According to the report, ‘policy needs to address public financing, recognition of carbon removal, transport and storage infrastructure, access to decarbonised electricity, carbon pricing and demand for low carbon product.’

To close this gap, the report calls for a mix of interventions: integrating CCUS into public financing programmes, acknowledging all forms of carbon removal, building dedicated CO₂ transport and storage networks, expanding access to affordable low-carbon electricity, and incorporating carbon performance into procurement and construction standards. Additional opportunities include using alternative fuels, recycling demolition materials and expanding the use of blended cement products.

With around 7% of global emissions linked to concrete, the sector’s ability to grow CCUS deployment and operate under supportive policy frameworks will be decisive in achieving net zero by mid-century.