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...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | npj Materials Sustainability |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44296-025-00051-1 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823861582898135040 |
|---|---|
| author | Jonathan Michael Broyles Juan Pablo Gevaudan |
| author_facet | Jonathan Michael Broyles Juan Pablo Gevaudan |
| author_sort | Jonathan Michael Broyles |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a7cd3e3f48a9475990d1f24bbacdc49a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2948-1775 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Materials Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj-art-a7cd3e3f48a9475990d1f24bbacdc49a2025-02-09T12:55:21ZengNature Portfolionpj Materials Sustainability2948-17752025-02-013111110.1038/s44296-025-00051-1Disparities in low-carbon concrete GWP at the metropolitan level in the United StatesJonathan Michael Broyles0Juan Pablo Gevaudan1Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado BoulderDepartment of Architectural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State UniversityAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44296-025-00051-1 |
| spellingShingle | Jonathan Michael Broyles Juan Pablo Gevaudan Disparities in low-carbon concrete GWP at the metropolitan level in the United States npj Materials Sustainability |
| title | Disparities in low-carbon concrete GWP at the metropolitan level in the United States |
| title_full | Disparities in low-carbon concrete GWP at the metropolitan level in the United States |
| title_fullStr | Disparities in low-carbon concrete GWP at the metropolitan level in the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disparities in low-carbon concrete GWP at the metropolitan level in the United States |
| title_short | Disparities in low-carbon concrete GWP at the metropolitan level in the United States |
| title_sort | disparities in low carbon concrete gwp at the metropolitan level in the united states |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44296-025-00051-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jonathanmichaelbroyles disparitiesinlowcarbonconcretegwpatthemetropolitanlevelintheunitedstates AT juanpablogevaudan disparitiesinlowcarbonconcretegwpatthemetropolitanlevelintheunitedstates |