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Bettesworth Construction
Concrete

Where the Power Comes From Could Decide the Carbon Cost of Your Concrete

Electricity sourcing can change concrete’s reported emissions, but a sound comparison also needs the same strength, product-specific EPDs and lifecycle boundaries.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 4 min read
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Electricity sourcing can change the emissions attributed to concrete production, but it does not determine a mix’s total carbon footprint on its own. To compare concrete options, look at product-specific Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), match the required strength and lifecycle boundary, and check how the producer accounts for electricity.

How electricity affects concrete’s carbon footprint

Electricity used at a concrete or cement production site has an emissions factor associated with its source and accounting method. A grid-powered site and a site that documents qualifying renewable electricity may therefore report different electricity-related emissions. The GCCA’s 2025 CO₂ Rulebook uses the location-based grid mix by default. Valid energy-attribute certificates may cover part of a site’s electricity consumption; any uncovered share is assigned the residual mix. GCCA CO₂ Rulebook.

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This accounting can affect a product’s reported greenhouse-gas impact, but it is only one part of the calculation. Cement production, fuel use, material choices, and other lifecycle stages also matter. The IEA identifies material efficiency, alternative fuels, supplementary cementitious materials, and carbon capture among measures needed to reduce cement-sector emissions. IEA, Cement and concrete — Breakthrough Agenda Report 2025.

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Why power alone cannot rank two mixes

A lower-emissions electricity claim does not by itself establish that one concrete product has a lower total footprint than another. The products may differ in strength, cement content, production site, or the lifecycle stages included in their declarations. Compare the reported GWP—global warming potential—in kilograms of CO₂-equivalent per cubic metre, alongside the product’s specified strength and EPD boundary.

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The GCCA Global Low Carbon Ratings classify concrete using both GWP and specified strength, with thresholds that vary by strength. That matters because a mix designed for greater strength may require more cement and have a higher footprint. A useful comparison is therefore between products that meet the same project specification, not simply between the lowest headline numbers. GCCA Global Low Carbon Ratings for Concrete and Cement.

Check the electricity evidence in the EPD

For a product-specific comparison, inspect the EPD and supporting electricity information rather than relying on a broad company claim. The GCCA rulebook calls for primary, site-specific inventory data covering 12 consecutive months and no more than five years old. It also specifies how location-based grid electricity, certificates, and residual mix are treated. GCCA CO₂ Rulebook.

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  • Production site: Confirm that the declaration applies to the plant making the concrete being considered.
  • Electricity accounting: Find whether the reported figure uses the location-based grid mix, valid energy-attribute certificates, or residual mix for any uncovered electricity.
  • Data period: Check the inventory period and whether its data meet the rulebook’s age requirement.
  • Product specification: Match the declared mix and specified strength to the concrete required for the job.

Do not assume a power mix or EPD applies to every product or site operated by the same producer. The GCCA rulebook’s product-specific and site-specific framing means the relevant declaration is the one tied to the concrete and production location under consideration.

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Make sure the lifecycle boundaries match

An EPD’s GWP is meaningful only alongside the stages it covers. The GCCA EPD Tool describes cradle-to-gate assessments for aggregates, clinker, and cement, and cradle-to-grave assessments for concrete and precast products. Those boundaries are not interchangeable: a cradle-to-gate figure does not include the same lifecycle stages as a cradle-to-grave figure. GCCA EPD Tool.

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The tool page also describes international and North American versions with different standards and verification arrangements. For project comparisons or declaration work, confirm which version and product category rules (PCR) apply; do not treat figures produced under different boundaries or rules as directly comparable without accounting for those differences.

A practical way to compare concrete options

  1. Set the performance requirement. Identify the specified strength and other project requirements before looking at carbon figures.
  2. Gather current product EPDs. Use declarations for the actual products and production sites under consideration, rather than a company-wide or sector-wide average.
  3. Compare GWP on the same basis. Check that values use compatible units, strength context, lifecycle boundaries, and applicable product rules.
  4. Review electricity accounting. Note the grid mix, certificates, and residual-mix treatment, and check the underlying data period.
  5. Choose on the evidence available. If one declaration is missing or uses a different boundary, the headline values do not establish which product has the lower comparable footprint.

The GCCA ratings can help orient a comparison because they place GWP in a strength-specific framework. They do not remove the need to examine the actual EPD and its scope. The GCCA’s rating and EPD resources describe how declarations feed into the ratings and how the tool supports lifecycle assessment. GCCA Global Low Carbon Ratings; GCCA EPD Tool.

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Keep sector pathways and historical claims in perspective

Electricity’s role depends on the process and the metric being discussed. In its 2023 cement pathway, the IEA lists electricity as 8% of kiln thermal energy use in 2050. That is a scenario value for kiln thermal energy use—not a measured share of all concrete emissions or a universal figure for every plant. IEA, Cement.

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Similarly, claims about CO₂-cured concrete need dates and attribution. In 2019, the IEA reported CarbonCure’s claim of around an 80% concrete-footprint reduction, while noting that the claim had not been independently verified at that time. The report attributed most of the climate benefit in the pathway it discussed to reduced cement input. This is a historical qualification, not a finding about the claim’s current verification status. IEA, Putting CO₂ to Use.

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Carbon capture can also affect the economics of lower-emissions cement. The IEA’s 2025 report estimates early commercial near-zero cement plants using CCS could have production costs 75–150% above conventional plants, varying by region. This is a plant production-cost estimate, not a forecast of the retail price of any particular concrete mix. IEA, Cement and concrete — Breakthrough Agenda Report 2025.

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