Environmental impact of concrete

More than 20 billion tons of concrete are produced every year, more than any other material on Earth, such that concrete production is responsible for 10% of the whole anthropogenic production of CO2. In the foreseeable future, there is no other material that can replace concrete to meet society’s needs for housing, shelter, schools, and infrastructure, while 10% more of the world population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050. Reducing CO2 emissions for concrete production is hence essential to meet GHG reduction targets.

Through a GEI seed grant we started new research efforts and establishing an interdisciplinary collaboration to raise awareness of concrete’s environmental impact. Read more >>

In 2017, we will organize the Georgetown Symposium on Concrete Environmental Impact, to bring together scientists, engineers and city leaders to discuss concerted strategies to promote the reduce environmental impact of concrete usage.