Based on the results of a recent independent review carried out by thinkstep-anz on behalf of Concrete NZ, the New Zealand concrete industry is well placed to meet the New Zealand government’s climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Concrete NZ Chief Executive Rob Gaimster said: “The independent review confirmed that the New Zealand concrete sector has reduced its emissions from cement by 15 percent between 2005 and 2018.”
Concrete NZ’s Sustainability Committee recently met with Climate Change Minister James Shaw to share the results from thinkstep-anz and discuss how the concrete industry is preparing to be part of the transition to a net-zero carbon New Zealand by 2050.
The reduction was achieved through a range of measures, including the use of waste products such as wood biomass to fuel cement kilns. Rob Gaimster also noted that naturally occurring mineral alternatives for reducing the percentage of cement clinker used in concrete production was a ‘game-changer’ in New Zealand. Cement clinker is the main ingredient in concrete production that is associated with carbon dioxide emissions. Emerging or improved technologies were also part of Concrete NZ’s plan to be net-carbon neutral by 2050, including increasingly energy efficient equipment and vehicles for production and transportation.
Technical Director Jeff Vickers talks about key findings for concrete and cement from thinkstep-anz's building materials report 'Under Construction'.
thinkstep-anz’s 2019 building materials report also offers improvement strategies for the short-term and long-term for various building materials including cement and concrete. These include replacing 30 percent of General Purpose Cement with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in the short-term and replacing coal further with alternative fuels such as biomass and tyre-derived fuels in cement manufacture for the long-term.
Rob Gaimster concludes that the concrete industry is aware of its significance for the future of New Zealand, which is why, he says, “we’re working so hard to reduce our carbon footprint and maximise the benefits of concrete.”