![]() ![]() ![]() Policy support to achieve net-zero targets is needed from all levels of governments. The Government of Canada has a key role to play in supporting and driving decarbonization efforts. The transformation will also require significant changes in design approaches, engineering, construction methodologies, and just as importantly, in the way that building materials and infrastructure are procured by all levels of government and the private sector. High levels of investment in near-, mid-, and long-term industrial decarbonization projects such as transitioning large scale cement plants to lower emission energy sources and undertaking carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) will be needed, too. Significant research and development to support emerging practices and technologies will be needed. ![]() While that is a complex and multi-faceted challenge, it also presents Canadian industry with significant opportunities-both at home and abroad.Ī nation-wide transformation of the Canadian cement and concrete sector will require significant levels of innovation and investment from manufacturers, the broader construction industry, and governments. This represents about 1.5% of Canada’s emissions.ĭecarbonizing Canada’s cement and concrete sector is a priority. Facility-level reporting through Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program listed 11.2 megatonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide (CO 2) in 2019 for the cement manufacturing industry. Likewise, cement production accounts for a significant share of Canada’s current GHG emissions. ![]() Footnote 1 These emissions primarily come from the chemical process reactions needed to convert limestone into clinker, the precursor to cement, and from the fossil-fuel emissions generated to produce the high temperatures (approximately 1,450 degrees Celsius) required to achieve that process. Among global industrial emissions, cement accounted for about 26% in 2019. Worldwide, cement manufacturing is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions- cement production accounts for approximately 7% of GHGs globally. In this context, Canada will produce some 55 million tonnes of cement and 400 million tonnes of concrete over the next 5 years – filling enough concrete mixer trucks to circle the globe 4.5 times.Īgainst this backdrop of growing demand, the Government of Canada and the cement and concrete industry are progressing toward a sustainable market that aligns with the joint goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. In fact, concrete use is expected to continue to grow globally and in Canada, driven by population growth, urbanization, and economic development as well as the need to invest in new and retrofitted infrastructure to support climate objectives. In Canada, public spending on road construction and transportation infrastructure further bolsters a demand for cement. Given its performance characteristics and the broad availability of limestone, concrete (and therefore cement) is likely to remain the construction material of choice globally. While Canadian production largely supports the Canadian market, exports of cement to the United States (U.S.) have increased from $840 million in 2016 to $1.1 billion in 2019. Collectively, the industry is responsible for approximately 158,000 direct and indirect jobs across the country while annually contributing $76 billion in direct, indirect and induced economic impact to the Canadian economy. More than 1,100 ready mixed concrete, precast concrete, concrete pipe, and masonry plants are located across Canada. There are 3 principal concrete product categories: ready mixed concrete, precast concrete products and masonry units (concrete blocks). While cement makes up only a small percentage of the mix (12% by volume on average), it is generally responsible for more than 80% of the resulting carbon dioxide emissions. Admixtures are added sometimes to confer specific properties. Concrete is obtained by mixing cement (and possibly supplementary cementitious materials), fine and coarse aggregates (e.g, sand, gravel, recycled concrete) and water. ![]()
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