Plastering over the cracks: why cement and concrete are not carbon removals

Carbon Market Watch critiques the European cement association's (Cembureau) claims that cement production and use can provide carbon removals. The author argues that proposed methods—including the use of sustainable biomass with CCS, enhanced carbonation, and natural carbonation—fail to meet the criteria for permanent and additional removals when full life-cycle assessments are considered. The document urges the EU to focus on proven removal techniques and industrial decarbonization strategies, such as reducing clinker-to-cement ratios and phasing out free pollution permits under the Emissions Trading System.

• The European cement association, Cembureau, proposes three methods for carbon removal: using sustainable biomass feedstock with emissions capture, enhanced carbonation (injecting atmospheric or biological carbon during production), and natural carbonation during the cement's lifetime if produced in a 'carbon neutral' way.
• The use of biogenic feedstock as a long-term strategy is deemed unrealistic because biomass supply is expected to decrease due to soil degradation and diminishing crop yields, while demand is projected to double by 2050.
• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the cement sector is criticized for its limited effectiveness and high energy cost, with modern installations reducing life-cycle emissions by only 40% while increasing energy use by up to 40%.
• Natural carbonation is not considered an additional climate benefit because it occurs in all concrete structures and is viewed as a delayed emission reduction rather than a removal.
• To achieve genuine decarbonization, the document suggests the cement sector should use low-carbon cement, reduce the clinker-to-cement ratio, adopt circular business models, and accelerate the phase-out of free pollution permits under the Emissions Trading System.

APA

Laugesen, A. (2023). Plastering over the cracks: why cement and concrete are not carbon removals. Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2023/05/03/plastering-over-the-cracks-why-cement-and-concrete-are-not-carbon-removals/

Chicago

Laugesen, Adam. Plastering over the cracks: why cement and concrete are not carbon removals. Carbon Market Watch, 2023. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2023/05/03/plastering-over-the-cracks-why-cement-and-concrete-are-not-carbon-removals/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Laugesen |first1=Adam |title=Plastering over the cracks: why cement and concrete are not carbon removals |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=3 May 2023 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2023/05/03/plastering-over-the-cracks-why-cement-and-concrete-are-not-carbon-removals/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{laugesen2023plastering, author = {Laugesen, Adam}, title = {{Plastering over the cracks: why cement and concrete are not carbon removals}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2023/05/03/plastering-over-the-cracks-why-cement-and-concrete-are-not-carbon-removals/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }