The accurate carbon footprint of the cement industry must consider that cement becomes concrete buildings, structures, and infrastructure — all of which permanently capture CO₂ through natural carbonation.
This process turns the built environment into a carbon sink and has been recognised in the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC. The science of carbonation is well established and already reflected in standards for calculating the carbon footprint of concrete products and buildings.
For National Inventory Reporting to the UNFCCC, countries must account for the amount of CO₂ absorbed through carbonation each year. This ensures that carbon removals are properly included in national greenhouse gas balances.
The carbonation process can be enhanced by injecting CO₂ into recycled aggregates or during the curing of concrete, where the gas becomes permanently mineralised within the material. When biogenic CO₂ is used, enhanced carbonation delivers permanent carbon removals. These removals will be certified under Regulation (EU) 2024/3012 — the Union certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products, once the European Commission establishes the corresponding certification methodology.
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