Material Health Considerations for Low-Carbon Concrete Habitable (formerly Healthy Building Network) Perkins&Will
Concrete is the world’s most consumed substance, aside from water, and its use is projected to grow in the coming decades.1 Concrete is the largest contributor to embodied carbon emissions in the building sector.2 Portland cement, the binder used in concrete, typically makes up 10–15% of concrete by weight, but accounts for the majority of its carbon footprint. It is well known to be one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions, accounting for 7% of CO2 emissions globally.3,4
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Health Trade-offs and Data Gaps As awareness over the concrete sector’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions has grown, a number of strategies have emerged to lower the embodied carbon of concrete. Some strategies to reduce the carbon impacts of concrete may have health co-benefits (like reducing inhalable particulate emissions), while some may have critical trade-offs.5 In order to better understand these potential co-benefits and trade-offs, we interviewed experts in the low-carbon
Approaches to carbon that deliver health co-benefits
concrete field, focusing on U.S. production of portland cement
Reduce concrete use through
and concrete. Through the interviews we discovered that
optimized design.6
some research has been conducted on the public health
The production of portland cement
impacts of concrete and cement production, but some large questions remain. For instance, notable data gaps exist in our understanding of the potential health co-benefits and tradeoffs of different strategies including: nj Lowering embodied carbon through inclusion of traditional
and concrete both are associated with emissions that can impact the health of nearby communities.5,7,8
Invest in research to understand
or emerging supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
the health impacts of low-carbon
nj Incorporating longer cure times in order to reduce the
concrete technologies.
amount of cement needed in the mix
Stakeholders investing in these new or
nj Developing carbon capture, utilization, and storage
emerging technologies should aim to
(CCUS) technologies
understand and reduce human health
nj Scaling up production of alternatives to ordinary
impacts throughout the life cycle of
portland cement
these materials by striving for supply chain transparency and, by considering
In addition, we do not fully understand how different
cumulative impacts faced by nearby
strategies may disproportionately impact communities
communities.5,9–12
of color and low-wealth communities. These data gaps should be filled to provide more
Design concrete materials for
comprehensive material health guidance on concrete. Notably, the best strategies for addressing material health
reuse and repurposing.
may differ outside of the U.S. due to regional variability in
Opportunities to reuse concrete structural
factors related to cement and concrete production. In the
elements have already been explored.13
meantime, here are a few steps that can be taken to reduce
Seek out opportunities to innovate by
greenhouse gas emissions from concrete in building projects
using concrete materials designed for
that are likely to have health co-benefits. As we learn more,
deconstruction and reuse.14
we will update this guidance.
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Credits and Acknowledgements
Contributing Authors
About the Authors
Ryan Johnson, Habitable
About Perkins&Will
Teresa McGrath, Habitable
Perkins&Will, an interdisciplinary, research-based architecture
Kimberly Seigel, Perkins&Will
and design firm, was founded in 1935 on the belief that design has the power to transform lives. The firm is committed to creating a better, beautiful, more equitable world through
Acknowledgements
Living Design, an approach that integrates environmental,
Thank you to all of the people who either
and well-being. Architizer named Perkins&Will the world’s
facilitated connections or who were
“Best Sustainable Firm” in 2023, and Metropolis named it “Firm
interviewed for this factsheet, including
of the Year” in 2022 for its industry leadership in advancing
experts at the American Council for an Energy-
climate action and social justice. Fast Company named
Efficient Economy (ACEEE), California Nevada
Perkins&Will one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies
Cement Association, University of California
in Architecture three times, and in 2021, it added the firm to
Davis Department of Civil and Environmental
its list of Brands That Matter—making Perkins&Will the first
Engineering, ClimateWorks, Industrious Labs,
architecture practice in the world to earn the distinction.
and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
social, and design considerations to advance ecological health
www.perkinswill.com
About Habitable Habitable (formerly Healthy Building Network) believes that all people and the planet will thrive when the materials economy is in balance with earth’s natural systems. Our team of researchers activate science to reduce pollution, mitigate climate change, and create a healthier and more equitable future for all. Our Informed™ initiative supports the built environment practitioners in selecting products with safer chemicals to improve the health of humans and the environment. www.habitablefuture.org
Citations
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6. Architecture 2030. Increase Material
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Production Has a Big Role to Play in
Smart Materials Palette.
Inequalities in the Production and Use
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions—
https://www.materialspalette.org/
of Cement and Concrete, and Their
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https://www.unep.org/resources/ report/greening-cement-productionhas-big-role-play-reducinggreenhouse-gas-emissions (accessed 2025-11-25) 2. Milad Ashtiani; Meghan Lewis; Rachelle Habchi; Aurora Jensen; Matt Jungclaus; Audrey Rempher; Rebecca Esau. Embodied Carbon Pathways to 2050 for the United States; Carbon Leadership Forum: Seattle, WA, 2025. https://carbonleadershipforum.org/ embodied-carbon-pathways-to-2050for-the-united-states/ (accessed 2025-11-25) 3. United Nations Environment Programme. Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future; Nairobi, 2023. http://www.unep.org/resources/ report/building-materials-andclimate-constructing-new-future (accessed 2023-12-19) 4. Monteiro, P. J. M.; Miller, S. A.; Horvath, A. Towards Sustainable Concrete. Nat. Mater. 2017, 16 (7), 698–699. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4930 5. Miller, S. A.; Moore, F. C. Climate and Health Damages from Global
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Reuse of Concrete Components in New
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Strategies for Reusable Concrete
10. Greer, F.; Bin Thaneya, A.; Apte, J. S.; Horvath, A. Pavement Resurfacing and Supply Chains Are Significant Contributors to PM2.5 Exposure from Road Transportation: Evidence from the San Francisco Bay Area. Environ. Res. Lett. 2022, 17 (12), 124014. https://doi. org/10.1088/1748-9326/aca2bc
Concrete Production. Nat. Clim. Change 2020, 10 (5), 439–443. https://doi.org/10.1038/ s41558-020-0733-0.
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For questions or more information, contact Habitable at informed@habitablefuture.org