Concrete Pours through Loophole in New Carbon Law

Portland cement, the major binding agent in concrete, is one of the single largest emitters of greenhouse gases. But thanks to lobbying by industry groups, you won’t find concrete in California’s new carbon legislation, the Buy Clean California Act.

The law requires contractors to get environmental product declarations (EPDs) for certain materials and use the EPDs to choose lower-carbon materials for state building and infrastructure projects.