Can Cement Go Green? Inside the Global Push for Low-Carbon Alternatives

By Ankit SinghReviewed by Bethan DaviesMay 9 2025

The construction world is hitting a turning point. As cities grow and infrastructure needs expand, we can’t ignore the environmental footprint of one of the industry’s biggest players: cement.

Image Credit: phil_berry/Shutterstock.com

Traditional cement manufacturing is responsible for about 7–8 % of global CO₂ emissions—that's roughly four times more than what the aviation industry produces. And since developing nations are expected to drive 94 % of future cement demand, finding lower-carbon alternatives isn’t just important, it’s urgent.^1,2,3

This article aims to detail some of the most recent innovations, challenges, and real-world progress behind low-carbon cement and what it means for the future of sustainable building.

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The Carbon Cost of Traditional Cement

Cement might seem like just another building material, but its impact on the environment is anything but small. Making it is a high-energy process. At the heart of cement is clinker, the binding agent that holds everything together. To make clinker, limestone is heated in kilns to a scorching 1450 °C. That process releases carbon dioxide in two ways: from burning fuel and from the chemical reaction that breaks down the limestone itself.

For every ton of cement produced, we’re talking 0.6 to 0.9 tons of CO₂ emissions. Most of that—about 60 to 70 %—comes just from making clinker. Even though there have been improvements in efficiency over the years, the industry still leans heavily on coal and old-school kilns, which means emissions stay high.^3,4

For many developing countries, the stakes are even higher. They’re facing a massive demand for housing and infrastructure, but without action, cement production could derail climate goals. In Africa alone, the urban population is expected to double by 2050, requiring about 600 million new homes. If these are built using traditional cement, the resulting emissions could take a serious toll on global climate targets.³

Fresh Approaches: What’s Changing in Cement?

Thankfully, the cement industry isn’t standing still. New technologies are pushing the envelope, offering ways to slash emissions and keep costs in check, without compromising on strength or durability. Here’s a look at some of the standout innovations gaining traction.

LC3: A Smarter Cement Mix

One of the most promising developments is limestone calcined clay cement, or LC3. Developed by researchers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), LC3 replaces 30–50 % of the clinker with a combination of calcined clay and limestone. LC3 offers a 40 % reduction in emissions and a 25 % cut in production costs, thanks to lower energy requirements. And because low-grade clay is widely available in regions like Africa and Southeast Asia, this technology is relatively easy to scale.^2,5

Take Colombia as an example—Cementos Argos has been producing 1.4 million tons of LC3 every year since 2020. They've cut energy use by 30 % and CO₂ emissions by half. Still, broader adoption hasn’t been smooth sailing. Many manufacturers are hesitant to retrofit their plants, and outdated building codes can slow things down.^2,5

Bio-Cement and Carbon-Negative Building Blocks

This is where things get especially interesting—scientists are using biology to rethink cement from the ground up. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are working with coccolithophores, microalgae that capture CO₂ through photosynthesis, to grow limestone. This method doesn’t just reduce emissions, it could actually make cement carbon negative if scaled up. Prometheus Materials, a startup based on this research, is already producing algae-based masonry blocks that meet American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for strength and insulation.⁵

There’s also exciting work happening with recycled cement. Teams at the University of São Paulo and Princeton have developed a way to reheat crushed concrete waste to 500 °C, reactivating its binding properties. When combined with a small amount of traditional Portland cement, the resulting mix performs just as well as new concrete but cuts emissions by 40 %.⁶

SCMs and Carbon Capture: Reinventing the Recipe

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) like fly ash, slag, and silica fume are another part of the puzzle. These additives reduce the need for clinker and improve the final product’s durability. McKinsey projects that the market for SCMs could be worth $60 billion by 2035—and in some formulations, they could cut emissions by as much as 80 %. Fortera, a California-based company, is leading the charge by capturing CO₂ from kilns and using it to make ReAct Cement, which offers a 70 % emissions reduction per ton.^5,7

We've invented a way to manufacture low-carbon cement that is commercialization-ready and able to economically scale globally.

Ryan Gilliam, Ph.D., CEO and Co-FOunder of Fortera

On the tech-heavy side, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is gaining steam. The EU’s Innovation Fund has committed over $1 billion to cement-sector CCUS projects. These include advanced methods like oxyfuel combustion and pressure-swing adsorption. Companies like Heidelberg Materials are setting big goals, like cutting emissions by 30 % by 2030, by combining CCUS with alternative fuels.^1,4

Policy and Private Sector Push: Who’s Driving Change?

Technology is only part of the story. For these solutions to go mainstream, we need bold policy, smart procurement, and strong market demand.

Government buying power can make a real difference. In the US, the Federal Buy Clean Initiative is allocating $4 billion to prioritize low-carbon materials in public construction. New York is pushing for a 30 % drop in concrete emissions on state-funded projects by 2028. And in Europe, policies like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Emissions Trading System (ETS) are turning up the pressure on high-carbon imports.^1,7

For countries in the Global South—where cement can account for up to 20 % of national emissions (compared to just 3 % in Europe)—LC3 presents a real opportunity. EPFL estimates that switching to LC3 in Africa could eliminate 95 billion tons of CO₂ emissions, create local jobs, and reduce dependency on imported materials.²

Big tech is also throwing its weight behind greener concrete. Microsoft and Meta are both investing in low-carbon cement to shrink the carbon footprint of their data centers. Microsoft is working with Sublime Systems, a company that produces cement using electrochemical methods. Meanwhile, Amazon’s HQ2 used over 106,000 cubic yards of CO₂-injected concrete, avoiding around 1000 metric tons of emissions.^1,8

Scaling the Solution: What’s in the Way?

The momentum is real, but challenges remain. Here’s what’s slowing things down:

• Supply Chain Gaps: As coal plants shut down, materials like fly ash are becoming less available. That’s pushing the industry to explore alternatives like calcined clay.^7,8
• Outdated Regulations: Many building codes still reflect older materials and don’t allow room for new mixes. Brazil is setting a good example by shifting to performance-based standards that focus on outcomes rather than formulas.⁶
• High Costs: Retrofitting a cement plant for new tech like CCUS is no small task—McKinsey estimates the cost at about €1 billion per facility. That puts a strain on smaller players.⁷
• Misconceptions and Education: Some architects and engineers still worry about the performance of low-carbon cement. EPFL has been working to address those biases and promote evidence-based adoption, especially where traditional materials like wood or bamboo are favored.²

What’s Next? Innovation Meets Collaboration

Reaching net-zero in cement isn’t about a single fix; it’s about progress on multiple fronts.

On the materials front, researchers are pushing beyond traditional blends, developing alternatives like alkali-activated geopolymers, magnesium-based cements, and AI-optimized 3D-printed concrete that can be tailored for strength, curing time, or climate performance. These aren’t fringe experiments—they’re being piloted in real construction settings, with promising early results.

Meanwhile, the push toward circularity is starting to reshape how we think about the cement lifecycle. Projects like Cement 2 Zero are proving that construction and demolition waste can be more than landfill; they can be recaptured, reactivated, and reintegrated into new cement mixes, reducing both emissions and raw material demand.

But perhaps the most critical, and overlooked, piece is global equity. The regions that will drive the majority of future cement demand often lack the capital, regulatory frameworks, or access to emerging technologies needed to shift quickly. That’s why groups like the LC3 Global Alliance are so important. They’re not just promoting a product, they’re building supply chains, helping shape performance-based codes, and training engineers on the ground. Without that kind of structural support, even the best low-carbon innovations risk staying stuck in the lab or in isolated pilot projects.^2,4,6,9

Conclusion

Low-carbon cement isn’t some far-off dream, it’s already happening. With LC3 gaining ground in Africa, algae-based cement entering the market, and CCUS becoming more viable, there’s clear proof that sustainable construction and economic development can go hand-in-hand.

Still, to really move the needle, everyone has to get involved. Policymakers need to update regulations. Companies should make sustainability part of their procurement decisions. And researchers and startups have to keep building the bridge from lab to real-world adoption.

As cities continue to grow, low-carbon cement offers something we desperately need: a solid, climate-smart foundation for the future.

Want to Learn More?

Want to learn more about sustainable construction and low-carbon materials?

• Green Hydrogen: Reducing Carbon Footprints in Heavy Industry
• New Advancements in Sustainable Cement Production
• Sustainable Challenges in the Cement Industry

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References and Further Reading

1. Pope, E. (2025). Demand For Low-Carbon Cement Is On The Rise. IDTechEx. https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-article/demand-for-low-carbon-cement-is-on-the-rise/32355
2. Low-carbon cement for greener development in Global South. (2024). World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/06/low-carbon-cement-sustainable-development-global-south/
3. Cheng, D. et al. (2023). Projecting future carbon emissions from cement production in developing countries. Nature Communications, 14(1), 1-12. DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-43660-x. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43660-x
4. Barbhuiya, S. et al. (2025). Low carbon concrete: advancements, challenges and future directions in sustainable construction. Discover Concrete and Cement. 1, 3. DOI:10.1007/s44416-025-00002-y. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44416-025-00002-y
5. Three emerging technologies for low-carbon concrete. (2024). ClimateWorks Foundation. https://www.climateworks.org/blog/three-emerging-technologies-for-low-carbon-concrete/
6. Poore, C. et al. (2025). Princeton Engineering - Recycled cements drive down emissions without slacking on strength. Princeton Engineering. https://engineering.princeton.edu/news/2025/03/18/recycled-cements-drive-down-emissions-without-slacking-strength
7. Apel, F. et al. (2024). The future cement industry: A cementitious ‘golden age’? McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/engineering-construction-and-building-materials/our-insights/the-future-cement-industry-a-cementitious-golden-age
8. An Introduction to Low Carbon Concrete. (2024). CarbonCure Technologies Inc. https://www.carboncure.com/blog/concrete-corner/a-complete-guide-to-low-carbon-concrete/
9. Terán-Cuadrado, G. et al. (2024). Current and potential materials for the low-carbon cement production: Life cycle assessment perspective. Journal of Building Engineering, 96, 110528. DOI:10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110528. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352710224020965

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