The concrete industry alone is currently responsible for around 7-8 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions - the equivalent of more than any individual country except for China and the US.
The newly developed method allows for CO2 to be sequestered from the atmosphere and absorbed into the cement, strengthening it and reducing the amount required to produce equivalent-strength concrete.
Both CO2 sequestration and cement reduction can contribute to the reduction of concrete’s CO2 footprint, the researchers said. They believe the technology has the potential to mitigate two billion tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to 4 per cent of global CO2 emissions.
Dr Reyes Garcia from the University of Warwick said: “As the world strives to reach zero-carbon goals, the construction industry and we civil engineers have a huge role to play to make concrete more sustainable. The cement we use to produce concrete contributes massively to CO2 emissions and therefore...