The Universal Classification system for assessing the embodied carbon of concrete in Canada

Concrete is known to be the most prevalent human-made material globally owing to its durability, versatility, and affordability that, however, contributes significantly to global CO2 emissions. Consequently, efforts have intensified to reduce concrete’s embodied carbon, with emerging or conventional alternative technologies aiming to mitigate emissions and produce “sustainable” and “low carbon” concrete, a set of terms that have been used inconsistently leading to potential greenwashing and confusion in the industry. Simultaneously, there is a pressing need for tools and policies to guide the design of low-carbon concrete structures and infrastructure. This paper introduces an embodied carbon classification system as a practical solution to address industry confusion and facilitate sustainable practices in the concrete construction sector. It consists of a universally applicable tool that can be used by designers, manufacturers, asset owners, contractors, and policy makers to enable a robust evaluation of the embodied carbon concrete, develop pathways to concrete decarbonization, and set interregional definitions and targets for low-carbon concrete materials.