Critical Building Blocks for a Sustainable Concrete Market

Cement is essential for construction but accounts for approximately 7% of global CO₂ production. The World Economic Forum–McKinsey knowledge collaboration on the decarbonization of cement looks to lower emissions through circularity solutions and reducing the need for new virgin components.

Insights from industry leaders

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The circular cement value chain: Sustainable and profitable
– Concrete and cement circularity could allow industry to rein in costs and reduce emissions, adding untapped value to the built environment.
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Decarbonizing cement and concrete value chains: Takeaways from Davos
– How can the cement and concrete industry reach net-zero emissions by 2050? McKinsey hosted panelists at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 in Davos to offer their insights.
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The cement sector’s net-zero transition: Higher costs and demand shifts
– For cement companies and their value-chain partners, opportunities for value creation could arise as customers look for low-emissions building materials.
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Laying the foundation for zero-carbon cement
– The cement industry is a top source of CO2 emissions, but abatement pressures could prompt efforts to reimagine the business.
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Green growth avenues in the cement ecosystem
– Collaboration across the value chain is pivotal to decarbonizing the built environment—and it needs to start today.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Reimagining industrial operations
– Through innovation, advanced analytics, digitization, electrification, and process efficiencies, carbon-intensive operations underpinning the global economy can shape a more sustainable future.
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The 21st-century cement plant: Greener and more connected
– The cement plant of the future will embrace digitization and sustainability trends to earn a competitive advantage and build resilience.
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Accelerating green growth in the built environment
– The industries that make up the built environment are highly fragmented and slow to change. Creating green growth requires shifts in how players design, build, operate, and decommission assets.
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Decarbonizing the built environment: Takeaways from COP26
– How can the cement and construction industry achieve net zero by 2050? Here are the key takeaways from a roundtable discussion McKinsey hosted at the COP26 Climate Change Conference.
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Artificial intelligence helps cut emissions and costs in cement plants
– AI can help optimize energy consumption and throughput of cement kilns and mills by improving equipment productivity in view of rising environmental concerns and CO2 costs.
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Decarbonizing industry will take time and money—but here’s how to get a head start
– Unless industry can lower its emissions, the world will struggle to reach the GHG reduction targets. It won’t be easy, but there is a path forward.

Featured collaborations

Blog

How circularity can increase profits in cement and concrete
Concrete and cement, which account for approximately 7% of global CO2 emissions and 30-40% of solid waste, are facing several trends with potentially far-reaching cost implications.
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Circularity: A key enabler to reach net-zero in cement and concrete
Cement, and by extension concrete, is the linchpin of the built environment. Global demand for it has nearly tripled in the last 20 years, and estimates suggest it will continue to grow through 2050 if no action is taken.

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