Recent studies reveal promising advancements in building materials that could significantly contribute to carbon sequestration efforts, addressing a critical challenge posed by the construction industry’s substantial carbon emissions.
The research, spearheaded by experts from the University of California, Davis, and Stanford University, indicates that innovative carbon-capturing materials could potentially remove up to 1.66 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere annually.
The construction industry is responsible for over 20% of global carbon emissions, primarily due to the widespread use of high-emission materials such as cement and steel. This reality has prompted researchers to investigate alternative materials with enhanced carbon storage capabilities.
Elisabeth Van Roijen, a graduate researcher at UC Davis and the study’s lead author, noted, “Building materials can be a good option for carbon storage given the massive quantity of materials produced each year, and the long lifetime and durability of these materials,” highlighting the significant potential for these materials in combating climate change.
The study, which was recently published in the Science journal, has identified nine innovative carbon-storing building materials. Many of these alternatives are improved versions of conventional materials and include bio-based plastics, asphalt binders, concrete enhanced with biochar, carbon-loaded artificial rock aggregates, and biomass fibre bricks. The technologies, however, are at various stages of development, ranging from laboratory research to materials already available on the market.
Among the alternatives, enhanced concrete stands out for its remarkable potential for carbon sequestration. The ability to utilise carbonated aggregates in concrete production is especially notable, as concrete is the most widely produced construction material globally, exceeding 2 billion tons annually and constituting over 60% of construction material output. The research suggested that if just 10% of concrete aggregates worldwide were carbonateable, it could lead to a storage capacity of up to 1 billion tons of CO2.
Currently, companies like Carbon Upcycling, BluePlanet, and OCO Technology are actively manufacturing carbon-storing materials. However, to realise their full potential, large-scale production is essential. To compete effectively with conventional materials, these innovative alternatives must not only offer cost-effectiveness but also adhere to rigorous performance and safety standards.
