The Concrete Commitment Cohort announced

Innovate UK has announced the formation of the Concrete Commitment Cohort (CCC), alongside the launch of a funding competition to accelerate commercial adoption of lower-carbon concrete.

The CCC is an alliance of major concrete users who will work together to support the new programme to decarbonise concrete.

The programme includes a £3mln Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition to fund innovation in materials and processes that lower the carbon footprint of concrete.

The CCC will explore the potential for Advance Market Commitments for the successful projects, with the aim to provide clear market pull and help unlock the required investment to scale these new technologies. Innovate UK will also seek to align additional investment support.

UK concrete and cement currently account for around 1.5% of UK carbon dioxide emissions and around 7% of emissions globally.

Solutions to decarbonise concrete need careful consideration and rigorous testing before market acceptance.

In order to achieve rapid adoption of these type of solutions, this initiative is seeking to support those that specify and procure large volumes of concrete.

The CCC members include: National Highways, JN Bentley, Sellafield sites, WSP, Anglian Water, HS2, United Utilities, the Environment Agency, Laing O’Rourke, Ferrovial Construction and Transport for London.

‘The Environment Agency’s NZC2030 roadmap commits us to reduce our carbon footprint by at least 45% by 2030,’ says Andrew Powell of the Environment Agency, Member of the CCC.

Find out more about the competition which closes on 4 March.