Sabbie A. Miller, Maria Juenger, Kimberly E. Kurtis, Jason Weiss
{"title":"Cement and Alternatives in the Anthropocene","authors":"Sabbie A. Miller, Maria Juenger, Kimberly E. Kurtis, Jason Weiss","doi":"10.1146/annurev-environ-112621-070104","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Globally, the production of concrete is responsible for 5% to 8% of anthropogenic CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> emissions. Cement, a primary ingredient in concrete, forms a glue that holds concrete together when combined with water. Cement embodies approximately 90% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with concrete production, and decarbonization methods focus primarily on cement production. But mitigation strategies can accrue throughout the concrete life cycle. Decarbonization strategies in cement manufacture, use, and disposal can be rapidly implemented to address the global challenge of equitably meeting societal needs and climate goals. This review describes (<jats:italic>a</jats:italic>) the development of our reliance on cement and concrete and the consequent environmental impacts, (<jats:italic>b</jats:italic>) pathways to decarbonization throughout the concrete value chain, and (<jats:italic>c</jats:italic>) alternative resources that can be leveraged to further reduce emissions while meeting global demands. We close by highlighting a research agenda to mitigate the climate damages from our continued dependence on cement.","PeriodicalId":7982,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Environment and Resources","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":15.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Annual Review of Environment and Resources","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112621-070104","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Globally, the production of concrete is responsible for 5% to 8% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Cement, a primary ingredient in concrete, forms a glue that holds concrete together when combined with water. Cement embodies approximately 90% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with concrete production, and decarbonization methods focus primarily on cement production. But mitigation strategies can accrue throughout the concrete life cycle. Decarbonization strategies in cement manufacture, use, and disposal can be rapidly implemented to address the global challenge of equitably meeting societal needs and climate goals. This review describes (a) the development of our reliance on cement and concrete and the consequent environmental impacts, (b) pathways to decarbonization throughout the concrete value chain, and (c) alternative resources that can be leveraged to further reduce emissions while meeting global demands. We close by highlighting a research agenda to mitigate the climate damages from our continued dependence on cement.
期刊介绍:
The Annual Review of Environment and Resources, established in 1976, offers authoritative reviews on key environmental science and engineering topics. It covers various subjects, including ecology, conservation science, water and energy resources, atmosphere, oceans, climate change, agriculture, living resources, and the human dimensions of resource use and global change. The journal's recent transition from gated to open access through Annual Reviews' Subscribe to Open program, with all articles published under a CC BY license, enhances the dissemination of knowledge in the field.