ConcreteZero: providing a solid foundation for low carbon construction

After water, concrete is the most consumed material on Earth, and around 8% of global human-produced carbon emissions are a result of the production of cement, a key component of concrete.

With areas the size of Paris being built globally every single week for the next 40 years, the demand for concrete is significant, and highlights the need to drastically reduce the carbon emissions of this material if we are to achieve our net zero carbon goals of a 45% reduction on carbon emissions.

ConcreteZero is a global initiative that brings together pioneering organisations to create a global market for net zero concrete. The initiative is led by Climate Group in partnership with World Green Building Council and World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Buro Happold was one of the founder signatories when ConcreteZero launched in July 2022.

The aim of ConcreteZero is to transition to 30% low emission concrete by 2025 and 50% by 2030, setting a clear pathway to using 100% net zero concrete by 2050. Our ConcreteZero commitments support Buro Happold’s wider sustainability goals of reducing the embodied carbon intensity of all of our new buildings, major retrofits and infrastructure projects by 50% by 2030.