Disparities in low-carbon concrete GWP at the metropolitan level in the United States
Abstract The specification of Global Warming Potential (GWP) targets for low-carbon concrete is essential to guide decarbonization efforts for the built environment. Yet specifying GWP targets by multi-state regions reduces the granularity needed to define GWP targets locally. To probe this paradigm...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | npj Materials Sustainability |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44296-025-00051-1 |
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| Summary: | Abstract The specification of Global Warming Potential (GWP) targets for low-carbon concrete is essential to guide decarbonization efforts for the built environment. Yet specifying GWP targets by multi-state regions reduces the granularity needed to define GWP targets locally. To probe this paradigm, we analyze 39,536 Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and show that 85.3% are manufactured near a highly populated U.S. metropolitan. Our results demonstrate that low-carbon concrete specification targets can only be met in metropolitan areas with sufficient GWP data, such as New York City and Los Angeles, which account for 41% of EPDs and, hence, skew regional GWPs – preventing equitable and attainable low-carbon concrete specifications. The use of supplementary cementitious materials remains a pathway to reduce GWP. Additionally, local differences in transportation and manufacturing reveal new avenues to achieve low-carbon targets. These findings evince the need for concrete GWP specifications at the metropolitan level to meet national decarbonization goals. |
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| ISSN: | 2948-1775 |