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Groundbreaking new protocol will generate production of more environmentally friendly building materials.  

BOYERTOWN, Pennsylvania (November 2, 2023) – ClimeCo, a leading global sustainability company, is pleased to have participated in the development process of the Climate Action Reserve’s (CAR) new U.S. Low-Carbon Cement Protocol. ClimeCo was honored to leverage its industrial and methodology expertise to participate in the process of developing a protocol that creates a tested and valid pathway for companies to generate voluntary carbon credits and create the scale necessary to displace carbon-intensive cement manufacturing. We are thrilled with CAR’s end product, which was the result of significant stakeholder input and public comment.

The protocol establishes a first-of-its-kind pathway to generate voluntary carbon credits from the production of novel and underutilized alternative cementitious materials (ACMs) and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Funds generated by these credits will be used to incentivize the production and scaled use of innovative, less carbon-intensive materials to meet growing demand, reduce emissions and help enable exponential positive change. For more than 18 months, ClimeCo worked closely with numerous stakeholders, including Eco Material Technologies and the Portland Cement Association, to create, seek comment and refine this important effort. 

The new protocol was created to address a pressing emissions crisis in the cement industry. Concrete is the second-most-used material by mass, behind only potable water. As the key binding ingredient in concrete, cement production accounts for about 8% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, largely due to the creation of an intermediary product called clinker, which can be avoided by using less polluting SCMs. Traditional SCMs are declining in supply, making them difficult to source for many cement and concrete manufacturers. The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has determined that the sector can only scale low-carbon cement to the degree required to meet targets with additional financing.  

The protocol creates a tested and valid pathway for companies to generate voluntary carbon credits and direct much-needed funds to the production of additional cementitious materials that can fill the worsening supply void and create the scale necessary to displace carbon-intensive cement manufacturing.   

Dedicated to transparency and genuine impact, ClimeCo and industry stakeholders worked with CAR to ensure that the protocol follows strict rules on additionality, permanence, ownership, and quantification in generating and awarding offsets. To earn credits, manufacturers must produce usable materials that are widely recognized as beyond business-as-usual and surpass regulatory requirements. Eligible components include natural pozzolans (like volcanic ash), calcined clay, rice husk ash, and harvested and beneficiated coal ash, which has the added benefit of cleaning landfills.   

“While demand for cement has never been higher, it remains an exceptionally difficult-to-abate industry,” said ClimeCo President and CEO Bill Flederbach. “This new protocol demonstrates the power of credible, validated, and science-based voluntary carbon credits in accelerating the pace and adoption of environmental reforms. It also confirms ClimeCo’s belief that by engaging the right partners and taking a holistic approach, EVERY industry and EVERY company, even those facing the biggest challenges, can make a huge difference. Time is of the essence, and ClimeCo is proud to participate in efforts to build the way toward a brighter future.”  

For more information on how ClimeCo assisted in the development of the protocol, please read the documents and information pertaining to the protocol development.