UK concrete sector cuts CO2 but import risk grows

The UK’s concrete and cement industries have cut their carbon emissions by 63% since 1990, outpacing the wider economy’s reduction of 54%, according to new figures from the Mineral Products Association (MPA).

The update to the MPA’s Roadmap to beyond net zero shows sector emissions falling to 6.6 million tonnes of CO2 in 2023 – down 21% from 2018. Progress has been driven by investment in lower-carbon production processes and the declining output of domestic plants.

However, the trade body has warned that the benefits risk being undermined by rising imports. Cement from abroad now accounts for a third of the UK market, with associated emissions not counted in UK totals.

Dr Diana Casey, executive director for cement and lime at the MPA, said:
“We have a real opportunity for a low carbon transition in the UK concrete and cement industry which can provide essential materials for the government’s growth mission while retaining and creating high quality jobs and economic value in the UK.

“But this progress is under pressure from deindustrialisation. High UK industrial electricity prices and competition from countries where carbon or environmental pressures are lower mean that imports are making up a greater share of the UK market. The UK is effectively offshoring its emissions, as emissions associated with imported goods consumed here are not recorded in UK territorial CO2 data.”

The MPA has called for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to ensure importers pay the same for carbon emissions as UK producers. It argues that such a measure is vital to protect jobs and maintain the benefits of a strong domestic supply base.

The report notes that carbon capture, use or storage (CCUS) technology remains essential, with the potential to deliver more than 60% of the sector’s future carbon savings. Other measures include greater use of low-carbon cements and concretes, decarbonised power and transport networks, and fuel switching.

The roadmap also highlights concrete’s in-use properties, such as its ability to absorb CO2 during service life and its thermal efficiency in buildings, as key to achieving net zero by 2050.