Building materials could remove 1.6 billion tons of CO2 per year

Concrete made with biochar. (Photo: Sabbie Miller, UC Davis)

Building materials can be carbon sinks, with impressive carbon sequestration potential. Recent studies show that using carbon-storing materials could remove 1.66 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year—equivalent to 50% of global human-caused carbon emissions annually. Experts have also identified production scale as a key factor in whether these materials can reach their full potential.

New research unveils carbon-capturing construction materials

The construction industry accounts for over 20% of global carbon emissions, with high-emission materials like cement and steel being widely used. This has sparked further interest in exploring the carbon capture potential of alternative building materials.

The research was conducted by experts from the University of California, Davis' Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Stanford University's Earth Systems Science Department and was recently published in Science journal.

Elisabeth Van Roijen, a graduate researcher at UC Davis and the study's lead author, explained that “building materials can be a good option for carbon storage given the massive quantity of materials produced each year, and the long lifetime and durability of these materials.”

The research team identified nine types of carbon-storing building materials, most of which are improved versions of traditional materials. These include bio-based plastics and asphalt binders, biochar-added concrete, carbon-loaded artificial rocks as aggregates, and bricks with biomass fibers. These technologies are at different stages of development, with some still in laboratory research and others already available for use.

The carbon absorption potential of upgraded building materials is significant. (Photo: UC Davis)

Enhanced concrete holds greatest potential for carbon sequestration

While bio-based plastics show the highest carbon absorption potential by weight, the greatest carbon storage potential is using carbonated aggregates to make concrete. Concrete production exceeds 2 billion tons annually, accounting for over 60% of global construction material output, which makes scale a critical factor in determining carbon sequestration potential.

According to the research team’s calculations, if just 10% of the world’s concrete aggregates were carbonateable, it could store up to 1 billion tons of CO2.

Carbon storage potential of alternative building materials. (Image: courtesy of research authors)

The study highlights that while companies such as Carbon Upcycling, BluePlanet, and OCO Technology are already producing carbon-storing materials, achieving the full potential requires large-scale production. To compete with traditional materials, these alternatives must not only be cost-effective but also meet performance and safety standards.

To accelerate the adoption of carbon-storing building materials, experts suggest that governments and regulatory bodies introduce incentives, establish building codes, and set industry standards. These measures would support the industry's transition to decarbonization and help meet global net-zero goals.

Source: Carbon Herald, UC Davis, Anthropocene