The US Needs to Lower Cement Emissions — ‘Blended Cement’ Can Help

The U.S. cement industry is more emissions-intensive than global peers due to a higher clinker-to-cement ratio. The document advocates for the use of blended cements—which replace clinker with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)—as a primary near-term decarbonization lever. While the adoption of Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) has increased, the author argues that more aggressive substitution standards, such as those for limestone calcined clay (LC3), and demand-side procurement policies are necessary to reach net-zero goals.

• U.S. cement production is more emissions-intensive than in other major producing regions, largely because U.S. cement contains more clinker. The average U.S. clinker-to-cement ratio is 0.88, compared to a world average of 0.76 and ratios between 0.64 and 0.76 in China, India, and the EU. Consequently, U.S. cement production emissions intensity was approximately 20% higher than other major producers in 2019.
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) identifies clinker substitution as the most effective tool for decarbonizing cement through 2030, estimating that blended cements could lower U.S. cement emissions by 20% to 25% and create $1 billion in annual additional value.
• Adoption of blended cements in the U.S. is hindered by institutional inertia, risk aversion in construction, and rigid material standards. The most common U.S. standard, ASTM C150 for Portland cement, only allows a 5% clinker replacement, whereas the common CEM II cement in the EU allows substitution rates between 6% and 35%.
• While the adoption of Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) grew from 3% of U.S. cement consumption in 2020 to 35% in 2023, its impact on emissions intensity is nominal (about 5%) because it only allows up to 15% clinker replacement. The document suggests promoting standards for limestone calcined clay (LC3), which can replace up to 40% of clinker.
• To accelerate decarbonization, the document recommends that U.S. policymakers promote performance-based standards (such as ASTM C1157 and C595), implement emissions reporting via Type III environmental product declarations (EPDs), and use demand-side policies like 'Buy Clean' to create markets for green products.

APA

World Resources Institute (2024). The US Needs to Lower Cement Emissions — ‘Blended Cement’ Can Help. https://www.wri.org/insights/lower-carbon-blended-cement

Chicago

World Resources Institute. The US Needs to Lower Cement Emissions — ‘Blended Cement’ Can Help. 2024. https://www.wri.org/insights/lower-carbon-blended-cement.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=The US Needs to Lower Cement Emissions — ‘Blended Cement’ Can Help |date=9 May 2024 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/lower-carbon-blended-cement |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2024needs, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{The US Needs to Lower Cement Emissions — ‘Blended Cement’ Can Help}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/lower-carbon-blended-cement}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }