State of Cement & Concrete Decarbonisation 2026
Concrete is the most-used material on the planet after water, and the cement that binds it accounts for roughly 7–8% of global CO2 emissions. Most of that carbon is released by chemistry, not combustion — which makes cement one of the hardest materials to clean up. This report compiles the public figures on where cement and concrete decarbonisation stands in 2026 and which levers the industry is actually counting on.
Most cement emissions come from chemistry, not the furnace
Source: IEA — Cement — Energy System (2024)
Cement's carbon problem is unusual: about 60% of its CO2 comes from calcination — the chemical breakdown of limestone into lime inside the kiln — while only around 40% comes from burning fuel to reach the roughly 1,450°C the process needs. That split is decisive. Switching to cleaner fuels or electric heat tackles the smaller share; the larger, process-emissions share is released no matter how the kiln is heated. It is the single biggest reason cement cannot be decarbonised by energy efficiency alone and why the industry leans so heavily on carbon capture in its plans.
The industry is betting on carbon capture to do the heavy lifting
Source: Global Cement and Concrete Association — Concrete Future — The GCCA 2050 Net Zero Roadmap (2021)
In the Global Cement and Concrete Association's 2050 net-zero roadmap, carbon capture, use and storage is the largest single lever — expected to deliver about 36% of the CO2 reductions needed by mid-century. The rest is spread across more efficient cement and concrete production, lower clinker ratios, decarbonised electricity, smarter design and the slow re-absorption of CO2 by concrete over its life. The reliance on capture is also the roadmap's biggest risk: very little cement-sector CCUS is operating at scale today, so a third of the plan rests on a technology that still has to prove it can be deployed widely and affordably.
Cutting the clinker ratio is the cheapest lever available now
Source: Global Cement and Concrete Association — Concrete Future — The GCCA 2050 Net Zero Roadmap (2021)
The most immediate way to lower cement's footprint is to use less clinker — the carbon-heavy ingredient — per tonne of cement, replacing it with materials such as slag, fly ash or calcined clay. The global clinker-to-cement ratio sits at about 0.63 today and the GCCA targets roughly 0.58 by 2030 and 0.52 by 2050. Each step down cuts both process and fuel emissions at once, requires no new breakthrough technology, and is already commercial. The limit is supply of suitable substitute materials and building codes that still specify high-clinker mixes, which is why the projected fall is gradual rather than steep.
FAQ
Why can't cement just switch to clean energy?
Because most of cement's CO2 — around 60% — comes from calcination, the chemical reaction that turns limestone into lime. That carbon is released regardless of how the kiln is heated. Clean fuels and electrification only address the roughly 40% combustion share, so cement also needs carbon capture and lower clinker content to get close to net zero.
What is the clinker-to-cement ratio and why does it matter?
It is the proportion of clinker — the carbon-intensive ingredient — in finished cement. Lowering it by blending in slag, fly ash or calcined clay cuts emissions directly. The global ratio is about 0.63 today, with industry targets near 0.52 by 2050. It is the cheapest, most readily available decarbonisation lever, limited mainly by supply of substitute materials and building standards.
Sources
- IEA — Cement — Energy System
- Global Cement and Concrete Association — Concrete Future — The GCCA 2050 Net Zero Roadmap
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Sectors: Cement · Power Generation · Chemicals