Canada and Cement Association of Canada launch Roadmap to Net-Zero Carbon Concrete by 2050

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Innovation is essential to achieving Canada’s vision of a resilient, sustainable and strong economy, meeting the country’s climate goals and protecting the planet for future generations. The Government of Canada is committed to green economic growth that enhances the competitiveness of Canadian industry in the net-zero carbon economy, reduces environmental impacts and builds a clean future for all Canadians.

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, along with Marie Glenn, Chair of the Board of the Cement Association of Canada (CAC) and VP Enterprise Strategy at Ash Grove Cement Inc., and Adam Auer, President and CEO of the CAC, released the Roadmap to Net-Zero Carbon Concrete by 2050.

Concrete is the most used building material on the planet, and the cement needed to make that concrete accounts for 7% of global CO₂ emissions and about 1.5% of Canada’s. With support and collaboration from the Government of Canada and partners across the construction value chain, Canada’s cement and concrete industry is poised to achieve, through this partnership, the elimination of more than 15 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions cumulatively by 2030, followed by ongoing reductions of over 4 million tonnes annually from the production of cement and concrete in Canada.

As a first step, the roadmap includes the Action Plan to 2030, which is centred on three priority areas: driving Canadian market development; advancing innovation and transition in the industry; and positioning Canada as a world leader in the production, adoption and export of low-carbon cement and concrete products and technologies.

Government and industry collaboration, through major transitional industrial decarbonization projects, research and development, and standards and skills development, will further support the cement and concrete industry’s push toward net zero by 2050. This collaboration will also strengthen Canada’s leadership in clean technologies, paving the way to a clean-growth future.

Canada is also doubling down on this initiative by committing to co-lead the Glasgow Breakthrough on Cement and Concrete, which will allow like-minded countries to share best practices on the range of policies, regulations, programs and other measures for decarbonizing the concrete and cement sector.

Together, these initiatives aim to strengthen domestic efforts and international cooperation in industrial decarbonization. These efforts will make clean solutions affordable and accessible in every sector while positioning Canada’s cement and concrete industry as a leader in the production of low-carbon concrete thanks to clean technologies, innovative tools and forward-looking policy.