Central Concrete Becomes NRMCA Member to Adopt 2030 Challenge for Products

NRMCA Producer Member Central Concrete Supply Co., a U.S. Concrete Company that serves the San Francisco metropolitan area, is the first ready mix supplier in the U.S. to sign on to the 2030 Challenge for Products, an initiative to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the Building Sector through low-carbon building products. Central Concrete has already achieved the first Challenge target set for 2014: delivering low-CO2 concrete mixes that reduce the overall carbon footprint, on average, by more than 30% as compared to traditional portland cement concrete.

In addition, Central Concrete has become the first concrete company in the United States to initiate the development of environmental product declarations (EPDs). EPDs are third-party verified (certified) reports published by product manufacturers that provide quality assured and comparable information regarding environmental performance of their products. They provide environmental impact information such as global warming potential, ozone depletion and water use.

The 2030 Challenge for Products, issued by Architecture 2030, calls on architecture, planning and building industries worldwide to specify, design and manufacture products that meet specific carbon reduction targets between now and the year 2030. These targets increase incrementally every five years. For example, the 2014 target achieves a carbon-equivalent footprint of 30% below the current product average. The 2030 target calls for a 50% reduction. 

NRMCA recently announced that it has signed on to the Architecture 2030 Challenge and has become an EPD Program Operator in order to help concrete producers and concrete product suppliers meet the targets set by the 2030 Challenge for Products. In addition, LEED, International Green Construction Code (IgCC) and several other sustainability standards will require EPDs as a way to measure environmental footprint of building products.