Source: U.S. Concrete Inc., Euless, Texas
U.S. Concrete’s San Francisco-based operating company, Central Concrete Supply Co., has adopted the 2030 Challenge for Products, an initiative to reduce building sector greenhouse gas emissions through low-carbon solutions. The industry’s first producer among 2030 Challenge ranks, Central Concrete has already achieved a 2014 target: delivering low-CO2 concrete mixes that reduce the overall carbon footprint, on average, by more than 30 percent as compared to traditional portland cement concrete.
Issued by Architecture 2030 and backed by the American Institute of Architects, the 2030 Challenge calls on architecture, planning and building industries worldwide to specify, design and manufacture products that meet specific carbon reduction targets over the next 28 years, with lower thresholds set at five-year intervals.
Central Concrete has also announced development of concrete mix labels positioning it as the first U.S. ready mixed supplier to initiate Environmental Product Declarations. Tailored to procurement protocol aligning with Architecture 2030 and the proposed LEED v4 green building rating system, EPDs provide standardized, quantified product life-cycle information to enable comparisons among various products fulfilling the same function.
“Our operating companies strive to remain at the forefront of industry initiatives related to reducing the carbon footprint. Adopting such action-oriented programs clearly demonstrates our solid commitment to sustainable construction,” says U.S. Concrete CEO William Sandbrook. “We have a strong culture of sustainability that will enable us to expand these efforts in all of the markets we serve.”
Adds 2030 Challenge for Products Director Francesca Desmarais, “Through the development of EPDs and demonstrated low-carbon products, Central Concrete is an exemplary manufacturer committed to sustainability, transparency and low-carbon products.”
Globally, the building sector consumes more energy and contributes more to climate change than any other sector, Challenge organizers contend. Reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment is widely recognized as crucial for conserving energy and sustaining a healthy economy. In particular, reducing the carbon footprint of concrete has been highlighted as one of the most significant actions the building sector can take.