Scientists aim to turn our built environment into rechargeable batteries
According to the World Green Building Council, about 11 percent of the environmental footprint of buildings and construction comes from embodied carbon emissions. This includes all the CO2 emitted in producing the materials needed for creating our built environment. Seeking more sustainable and Read More...
This self-healing concrete fixes its own cracks to last longer
Concrete is responsible for around nine percent of global CO2 emissions — that’s three times more than the airline industry. Those emissions come from the material’s production and transportation, as well as repairs associated with its degradation. Though some innovators are working on Read More...
This partnership aims to create net-zero concrete out of industrial waste
In order to reach the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, we urgently need to find a greener alternative to concrete — the most widely used man-made material in the world — whose key component (cement) emits about 8 percent of global CO2 emissions. Narrowing in on this sustainability Read More...
Scientists turn old tires into graphene for more sustainable concrete
Concrete is one of the most widely used materials in the world and is responsible for as much as nine percent of total carbon emissions. Scientists at Rice University have figured out a way to reduce that impact by converting waste from rubber tires into graphene that can, in turn, be mixed with Read More...
This startup captures carbon and uses it to make greener cement
While carbon capture technology is capable of doing what its name implies, it hasn’t proven itself feasible because there’s not a large enough market for captured CO2 to justify the huge cost. Some companies within the industry have experimented with turning the CO2 into jet fuel. Others are Read More...
MIT scientists have figured out how to make cement without emissions
The production of cement currently accounts for about 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, leading to calls for architects to stop using it. That’s a hard sell, considering cement is such useful material. Fortunately, researchers at MIT have demonstrated an experimental way of Read More...
This production technique reduces concrete’s carbon emissions by 70 percent
The production of concrete is responsible for as much as eight percent of annual CO2 emissions. Knowing that this is a big problem for future business, manufacturers have been looking for ways to reduce their carbon emissions which come from two sources. Traditionally, about half comes from the Read More...
Giant cement producer to slash emissions in line with Paris climate goals
While it is a key ingredient in shaping our built environment, cement accounts for more than 7 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. For a better frame of reference, if the cement industry were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world - behind China and the US. Read More...
Cement is a huge polluter. Here’s how the industry is tackling the problem
While cement is incredibly versatile, the relatively cheap building material comes with a huge downside: it’s a massive greenhouse gas emitter. In fact, it’s responsible for about 8 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. If the cement industry were a country, it would be the Read More...
Ferrock, the cement that captures carbon from the air, comes to market
Cement, the glue that allows concrete to harden, is responsible for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Because it requires limestone to be heated at very high temperatures, cement production emits about 800 kilos of carbon for every 1,000 kilos of cement it yields. Ferrock aims to make cement Read More...