ACCELERATING CONCRETE’S DRIVE TO CARBON NEUTRALITY
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) was selected for a generous $9.63 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in June of 2024 that will help concrete producers accelerate their drive to carbon neutrality.
Project Goal
Implement a five-year work plan that will help concrete producers reduce the carbon footprint of concrete by 50% by 2028 from 2014 levels and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
Objective 1▸
NRMCA will increase the quantity and robustness of ready-mix concrete EPDs by providing grants to producers to create EPDs from an additional 3,000 plants (up from 1,500 currently). NRMCA will administer $6.5 million in grants to concrete producers to publish EPDs for concrete on a searchable website including concrete plant locations.
Objective 2▸
NRMCA plans to provide data quality management oversight and training, as well as education for producers by certifying 500 EPD specialists through an online education system.
Objective 3▸
NRMCA also plans to enhance its existing low-carbon concrete tool and host five low-carbon concrete training workshops per year for five years. NRMCA will educate over 30,000 design professionals on how to specify low-carbon concrete.
Objective 4▸
NRMCA will publish carbon footprint benchmarks for ready mixed concrete in over 50 sub-regions to measure progress towards carbon neutrality.
Objective 5▸
NRMCA will work to improve PCRs and data availability for critical inputs, including lightweight aggregate and admixtures.
Collaboration, Diversity and Equitable Workforce Development
Through this initiative, NRMCA will collaborate with various partners, including state ready mixed concrete associations, admixture suppliers, and academic institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The grant will also focus on supporting smaller companies in remote areas, promoting geographic diversity in EPD development, and ensuring equitable workforce development by encouraging minority groups and women to become sustainability experts.
Click here to download a factsheet.
Questions: Lionel Lemay, 847-922-7995