Project aimed at curbing emissions contributing to climate change while promoting environmental justice, diversity, and equitable workforce development
Alexandria, VA – July 16, 2024
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) is thrilled to announce that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected the association for a $9.63 million grant aimed at “Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Construction Materials and Products.” The grant will fund a five-year project managed by NRMCA and supported by its Build With Strength initiative which includes a team of concrete experts to educate the architectural and engineering communities on designing and specifying low carbon concrete.
NRMCA President Michael Philipps expressed his gratitude toward the EPA for the opportunity to further enhance the concrete industry’s sustainability efforts, stating, “Our appreciation extends to the agency for acknowledging the significant contribution of our industry’s sustainability initiatives over the past two decades. As part of that effort, NRMCA has worked over the past 12 years to move the industry toward widespread adoption of Environmental Product Declarations. This grant is an investment in accelerating our efforts to move the industry toward low carbon concrete solutions.”
To support the federal government’s goal of reaching net zero emissions in procurement by the year 2050, the EPA initiated this new grant program through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Funding will empower U.S. companies to be competitive in securing federal and other institutional building projects. It also aims to stimulate job creation and broader economic benefits while promoting the cultivation of a workforce skilled in managing embodied carbon.
This project will help NRMCA accelerate its goal to cut the carbon footprint of concrete in half by 2028, using 2014 as a baseline, and to attain carbon neutrality by 2045, five years ahead of its original goal.
Through this five-year project, NRMCA proposes to increase the quantity and robustness of ready-mix concrete Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) by providing grants to producers to create EPDs from an additional 3,000 plants (up from 1,500 currently). NRMCA plans to provide data quality management oversight and training, as well as education for producers by training additional EPD verifiers and certifying up to 500 EPD specialists through an online education system. 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 work to improve the Product Category Rules (PCRs) for concrete and data availability for critical inputs, including cementitious materials, aggregates, and admixtures.
Lionel Lemay, NRMCA’s executive vice president of structures and sustainability, will manage the project. He states, “These objectives are structured around distinct goals, accompanied by strategies and tasks tailored to achieve real carbon reductions. Every objective is crafted to cater to the unique requirements of the concrete industry, with the overarching aim of achieving carbon neutrality in alignment with the objectives of the Inflation Reduction Act.”
Through this initiative, NRMCA will collaborate with various partners, including state ready mixed concrete associations, material 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. For more information on the grant, visit: www.nrmca.org/EPAGrant
