Introducing the Clean Concrete Pledge Initiative to Decarbonize the U.S. Concrete and Cement Industry
Boulder, CO – December 18, 2024— Cement and concrete, essential to the built environment and modern infrastructure, are responsible for 8% of global annual carbon pollution, presenting a critical need and opportunity for industrial climate action. Recognizing this, RMI (founded as Rocky Mountain Institute), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the National Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), in collaboration with The White House, launched the Clean Concrete Pledge Initiative, a cross-cutting effort to bring powerful stakeholders across the concrete value chain together and drive industry-wide decarbonization, innovation, and economic benefits.
An inaugural group of 17 cities, states, real estate firms, and cement and ready-mixed concrete producers, representing some of the largest US buyers and suppliers of concrete, have pledged to take specific actions to decarbonize the concrete industry. Pledges were designed to align with existing standards and efforts, such as the ACI low-carbon concrete code and the First Mover’s Coalition.
The inaugural group is:
- Boston Properties (BXP, Inc.)
- C-Crete Technologies
- Carbon Upcycling
- CEMEX
- City of Los Angeles
- City of New York
- Clark Pacific
- Fortera
- Heidelberg Materials
- National Ready-Mix Concrete Company (NRMCC)
- New York State
- Ozinga
- Pozzotive
- Queens Carbon
- Sublime Systems
- Turner Construction
- Weldon Development
With pledges organized into four categories—Procurement, Demonstration Projects, Cement Supplier, and Market Accelerator—the initiative offers a pathway for both the public and private sectors to advance clean concrete solutions.
“Concrete is the foundation of modern life—and there has never been greater momentum in the market to reduce this essential material’s climate impact while also unleashing innovation, creating good jobs, and bolstering US clean manufacturing and construction,” said RMI CEO Jon Creyts. “RMI has been a consistent leader in uniting public and private stakeholders to help the clean economy thrive. Through the Clean Concrete Pledge Initiative, we’re accelerating the industry’s transition to a low-carbon future and securing a resilient future with high-quality buildings and infrastructure.”
Key commitments include:
- Buy Clean Procurement Commitments: Major U.S. cities, states, and developers have pledged to integrate low-carbon concrete into public and private construction projects, scaling the proven “Buy Clean” policy approach.
- Demonstration Projects: Industry leaders committed to testing and showcasing emerging low-carbon technologies through projects that accelerate adoption and build confidence in clean concrete innovations.
- Cement Supplier Investments: Pledges focus on scaling near-zero cement products and decarbonizing production facilities, supported by federal investments such as the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Market Accelerator Initiatives: Efforts to expand clean concrete adoption include convenings, workforce development, and innovative financing mechanisms.
As part of the initiative, three regional convenings in the Midwest, West, and Northeast were hosted by RMI and NRDC in partnership with The White House to foster collaboration and share best practices. These events featured industry leaders, cutting-edge technologies, and groundbreaking case studies, such as the first commercial use of Sublime Systems’ low-carbon cement in New England’s largest net-zero carbon building.
Quotes:
“Commitments to use and produce lower carbon concrete will move us toward a future of clean carbon and cement,” said Mikhail Haramati, State Industrial Lead at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “These materials and mixes are a pivotal step in decarbonizing the key building blocks of roads, buildings, and infrastructure across the country.”
“NRMCA is proud to join RMI and NRDC in launching the Clean Concrete Pledge Initiative,” said Lionel Lemay, Executive Vice President, Structures and Sustainability at the National Ready-Mix Concrete Associaton (NRMCA). “Our organization is dedicated to helping its members meet carbon reduction goals; 50% reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050 from 2014 levels. We will continue to educated members and the design and build communities on the benefits of performance-based specifications and to help meet the rigorous demands of climate change to offer resilience at a lower-carbon footprint.”
“As a leader in sustainable building systems, we are proud to support the widespread effort to reduce industrial emissions and accelerate the adoption of low-carbon materials,” said Allan Bedwell, chief sustainability officer at Clark Pacific. “Clark Pacific has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to sustainable operations, manufacturing and this pledge marks another significant step toward reducing our carbon footprint and innovating to drive smarter, more efficient and sustainable construction.”
“New York City’s capital project agencies are leading the way to expand our low-carbon materials market,” said NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. “Since they were directed to begin requiring environmental product declarations for various concrete and steel products, two agencies have already released their low-carbon concrete specifications, to be used on projects as early as next year.”
“We’re grateful to take part in RMI’s pledge framework as well as the summer convening,” said Ozinga Sustainability Engineer Ruth De Ni. “This has fostered great collaborations with stakeholders to show that low carbon concrete is possible and will make a positive impact.”
“Fortera is proud to join the growing list of innovative companies making the Clean Concrete Pledge, reinforcing our core mission to deliver sustainable solutions that drive the decarbonization of the cement and concrete industry,” said Ryan Gilliam, CEO and Co-Founder of Fortera. “Our commitments include supplying blended cement products with a clinker substitution rate greater than 40% (0.6 clinker factor) and completing five demonstration placements and reporting performance results for concrete mixes achieving global warming potential (GWP) limits over 50% better than 2022 regional NRMCA benchmarks.”
The Clean Concrete Pledge Initiative invites stakeholders to join this growing movement and accelerate the decarbonization of the U.S. concrete and cement industry. For more information and to join the pledge, visit Clean Concrete Pledge Initiative – RMI.
Media Contact:
Leah Komos, leah.komos@rmi.org
