Across the world, there has been a groundswell to meet new sustainability goals. Commitments are being made to net-zero targets, embodied carbon measurements, and the use of low-carbon materials.
Recognizing that low-carbon concrete can be a driving force in decarbonizing the built environment, we are seeing a rise in demand across the globe. In the past year we have expanded outside North America, and CarbonCure low-carbon concrete technology can now be found on five continents.
Working with our global partners, we are proud to be taking steps towards the goal of reducing embodied carbon in the built environment by 500 million tonnes annually—equivalent to taking 100 million cars off the road each year. Let’s take a look at the progress being made.
Entering And Developing New Markets
The message from our partners around the world is clear: The green building movement is gaining traction. In Singapore, Pan-United adopted CarbonCure to meet growing demand for more sustainable materials, with plans to introduce the technology to producers across the region.
We are also pleased to have signed a distribution agreement with CE Construction Solutions, an innovative solutions provider to the Australian construction industry. Serving a fast growing green building industry, CE Construction Solutions is poised to lead the way in meeting Australia’s sustainability goals.
Two significant investments are helping us deliver on our commitment to support the adoption of low-carbon concrete around the world.
Carbon Direct and Mitsubishi Corporation recently became CarbonCure investors and we intend to use the capital to accelerate the commercialization of our growing portfolio of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) innovations and international expansion timelines.
This followed an investment by Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund and Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV), a syndicate comprising Microsoft, BDC Capital, 2150, Thistledown Foundation, Taronga Group, and GreenSoil Investments.
These investment announcements indicate the extent to which there is a growing demand for more sustainable concrete solutions. At CarbonCure, we’re excited to have the opportunity to invest these funds in future international expansion and product innovation.
Recognition For An Effective, Commercially Viable, And Scalable Solution
We know that professionals across the construction industry are looking to implement sustainable solutions that are proven, effective, and easy to adopt. From producers and engineers to developers and investors, innovation is happening at every level to minimize climate impact. Several recent awards show just how much exciting activity there is in this area.
In August 2020, CarbonCure was named to the Solar Impulse Foundation’s list of Beyond 100 Solutions. The purpose of the Foundation is to prove that solutions exist to meet the challenges of climate change, and that they represent the biggest market opportunity of our century — objectives we agree with wholeheartedly.
At the end of last year, we were one of six proud winners of Sekoya’s second call for low-carbon solutions for the French construction industry. Sekoya is an industrial initiative that advocates for the deployment of low-carbon solutions to tackle climate change. This award will support our efforts to build strong partnerships throughout France and the EU.
And finally, winning the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE. This global competition took place over five years and challenged participants to develop breakthrough technologies to convert carbon dioxide emissions into usable products that help climate change.
The competition gave us the opportunity to showcase the portfolio of our technologies, including our newest commercial technology that focuses on carbonating reclaimed water — the wastewater generated at concrete plants — to enable the production of concrete with a reduced water, cement, and carbon intensity.
These awards are evidence that real climate solutions exist today, and that pioneering producers can be at the forefront of change in the construction industry.
A Bright Future Ahead
As we look back at a year of international expansion and endorsements for our concrete technology, we couldn’t be more grateful for the wide network of producers, distributors, and other partners that have helped us get this far. The momentum continues, with more expansion announcements planned later this year.
CarbonCure’s Founder and CEO, Rob Niven shared his thoughts on what’s ahead: