Government of Canada and the CAC Launch Road Map to Achieve Net-zero Carbon Concrete by 2050

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, along with Marie Glenn, Chair of the Board of the Cement Association of Canada (CAC) and Vice President of Enterprise Strategy at Ash Grove Cement Inc., and Adam Auer, President and CEO of the CAC, have announced the release of the Roadmap to Net-Zero Carbon Concrete by 2050.

Concrete is the most widely used building material globally, and the cement required to produce it accounts for seven percent of global CO2 emissions and around 1.5 percent of Canada's emissions. With the support and collaboration of the Canadian government and partners across the construction value chain, Canada's cement and concrete industry is poised to eliminate over 15 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, followed by a reduction of more than 4 million tonnes annually from the production of cement and concrete in Canada.

As an initial step, the roadmap includes a 2030 action plan that focuses on three priority areas: driving Canadian market development, advancing innovation and transitioning in the industry, and positioning Canada as a leader in the production, adoption, and export of low-carbon cement and concrete products and technologies.

Through major transitional industrial decarbonization projects, research and development, and standards and skills development, collaboration between the government and the industry will further support the cement and concrete industry's push towards net-zero by 2050. This collaboration will also strengthen Canada's leadership in clean technologies, paving the way to a clean-growth future.

Canada has also committed to co-lead the Glasgow Breakthrough on Cement and Concrete, which will enable like-minded countries to exchange best practices on policies, regulations, programs, and other measures for decarbonizing the concrete and cement sector.

Together, these initiatives aim to reinforce domestic efforts and international cooperation in industrial decarbonization, making clean solutions affordable and accessible in every sector while positioning Canada's cement and concrete industry to lead in the production of low-carbon concrete through clean technologies and forward-looking policy.