Concrete is the most consumed material on Earth after water.
The global demand for concrete is only expected to grow, driven by increasing urbanization and infrastructure development. Properly maintained concrete infrastructure can last 50 to 100 years or more, depending on environmental conditions and usage. Hence, regulating concrete and reducing concrete’s carbon emissions is crucial for the entire planet.
That’s why an increasing number of countries are including whole-life carbon assessments in their planning and building regulations. Whole life carbon includes the embodied carbon impacts arising from the extraction, manufacture, and transportation of building materials. Environmental product declarations (EPDs) enable concrete manufacturers to benchmark and then reduce their impacts to ensure that they remain competitive as these limits come into force. Consequently, the EU has created a set of rules which create demand and then requirement for EPD-aligned data.
Regulatory requirements affecting concrete manufacturers inside and outside of Europe:
- The European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
- The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR)
- The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPDB)
- The Construction Products Regulation (CPR)
- Level(s) – the European framework for sustainable buildings
Concrete manufacturers need to start planning for the future, and creating EPDs for their concrete and cementitious products is a solid first step.
Read more about why concrete manufacturers need EPDs and how the One Click LCA EPD Generator can help you, HERE.