The material we can’t live without, and definitely can’t afford to ignore.
Concrete is the backbone of modern life.
It builds our homes, our cities, our roads, and our infrastructure.
But sustainability is not just doing less harm, it’s about maintaining and improving our standard of living while using fewer resources.
And nowhere is that challenge more relevant than in the world of concrete.
Concrete alone accounts for around 7% of global CO₂ emissions – making it both essential and urgent to transform.
The paradox is clear: we can’t build a sustainable future without re-engineering the very material we build it with.
The good news? The solutions already exist.
The problem? They’re still not adopted at scale.
The question here is actually why.
The Heart of Construction’s Climate Challenge
When we talk about decarbonizing construction, concrete is where it starts; not because it’s the only problem, but because it’s the largest and most influential one.
Across the value chain, from cement producers to contractors, we see both opportunity and hesitation.
We have low-carbon mixes, alternative binders, digital tools, and lifecycle data models.
Adoption has begun, but the industry is now at that crucial leap between successful pilots and large-scale implementation.
The question is: how do we bridge that gap?
This isn’t a technology gap, it’s a gap of knowledge, culture, and coordination.
Decision-makers fear risk.
Standards and procurement frameworks reward the familiar.
Data remains fragmented and hard to compare.
And too often, project timelines take priority over long-term value – resulting in “on-time” projects that are more expensive and less sustainable.
Market dynamics suggest that the real winners will be those who learn to plan differently; those who integrate low-carbon materials early, adjust procurement cycles, and leverage data to optimize cost and performance.
Setting the Stage for Change
This is why Ecometrix, together with Markus Håkansson of BDO Sverige, is launching ”Concrete Action Towards Net Zero: The Industry Dialogue”
A first-of-its-kind series bringing leaders from every corner of the concrete and construction ecosystem to one table.
Our mission is simple:
Move the industry from awareness to knowledge, from knowledge to action.
We already know how to cut concrete’s carbon footprint by half – through better mix design, circular reuse, alternative binders, and smarter use of data.
But with tightening regulations and rising expectations across Europe, every client, investor, and policymaker now asks the same question:
How will you decarbonize your portfolio?
In other words: How will you reduce your footprint, and make the remaining part green?
To answer that, the industry needs more than innovation.
It needs alignment, shared data, and coordinated decisions.
From Discussion to Action
”Concrete Action Towards Net Zero: The Industry Dialogue” is not another study or report.
It’s a call to reimagine collaboration, to explore why change matters, what’s holding it back, and how data and leadership can accelerate real impact.
Because the truth is simple:
The solutions to halve emissions already exist. What’s missing is large-scale adoption.
What Comes Next
Over the next episodes, we’ll dive deeper into perspectives from across the value chain – real estate, contractors, engineers, policymakers – uncovering both barriers and enablers of change.
Each discussion focuses on practical, scalable steps toward low-carbon construction, with concrete at its core.
The Road Ahead
At Ecometrix, we see data as the bridge between ambition and action.
By transforming complex environmental information into decision-ready insights, our platform helps every stakeholder, from engineers to financiers, take confident, measurable steps toward decarbonization.
Because the future of construction won’t be built by the loudest promises, but by the clearest data and the boldest collaboration.
Follow the series. Join the dialogue.
Let’s move from awareness to adoption, and from talk to transformation.
