ICEC-MCM Contributes to POST briefing on "Reducing the whole life carbon impact of buildings"

Researchers and industry stakeholders from the ICEC-MCM contributed to the recent POST briefing with in-depth knowledge and peer-reviewed resources. Some of the areas in which our members contributed include:

• Developments of innovative sustainable cements, including challenges and opportunities
• The prevalence of waste-derived alternative to fossil fuels (WDF) within construction as opposed to coal
• The development of multicomponent ternary cements, with up to 66% less embodied carbon than market leaders
• Criticism of BREEAM rating system’s lack of importance of embodied carbon in the whole life cycle
• Recognition of the potential for beyond net zero by 2050, with the cement industry using waste biomass with carbon capture, and CO2 removals when the product is used
• Challenges facing research with creating a net zero cement
• Requirements for cost equalisation measures within the UK to remain competitive compared to offshore production
• Recommendation for a systemic view of technology-policy measures along the entire life cycle of materials

This briefing will be used to advise the Houses of Parliament members, both MPs and Peers. By contributing to this POST briefing, our researchers are directly impacting policy changes relating to the future of construction, such as standards, regulation, and funding. This research will enable policymakers to understand the scope of the issue to inform their actions at debates and votes.

Read the whole POST briefing here

Congratulations to those involved:

• Dr Rupert J. Myers, Lecturer in Sustainable Materials Engineering, Imperial College London
• Prof Leon Black, Professor of Infrastructure Materials, University of Leeds
• Dr Michal Drewniok, Research Associate in Efficient Concrete Structures at University of Bath
• Prof Liz Varga, Professor of Complex Systems, UCL,  (with Evi Manola)
• Andrew Frost Andrew Frost BSC (Hons), CEnv, MIEnvSc, MAMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner DB Group (Holdings) Limited
• Dr Richard Leese, Director – MPA Cement and Director – Industrial Policy, Energy and Climate Change, Mineral Products Association
• Prof John Provis, Professor of Cement Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield
• Dr Cyrille Dunant, Senior Research Associate, UKFIRES consortium