Key Facts:
- CCAA launches Australian adaptation of Global Ratings for Low Carbon and Near Zero Concrete, providing an AA-G rating system for assessing concrete's carbon performance
- The guide creates a standardised framework for the entire supply chain, addressing previous inconsistencies in low-carbon concrete assessment
- Australian version extends strength range coverage to suit local construction and infrastructure projects
- Initiative aligns with industry's commitment to achieve net zero carbon cement and concrete by 2050
- Framework supports National Sustainable Procurement in Infrastructure Guideline and helps drive lower-carbon outcomes in construction projects
Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) has today launched the Australian Adoption of the Global Ratings for Low Carbon and Near Zero Concrete, developed in partnership with the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) to bring an internationally recognised framework into an Australian context.
Formally released at a CCAA webinar, the guide responds to growing demand for clear and consistent ways to assess the carbon performance of concrete, as the heavy construction materials sector looks for simple, comparable tools to support lower-carbon design and procurement.
By providing a straightforward AA–G ratings system, the Australian Adoption gives clients (government and private), designers, engineers, project managers and asset owners a common reference point to understand and compare the carbon performance of concrete, a gap that CCAA Chief Executive Officer Michael Kilgariff said the new guide effectively fills.
"Until now, different organisations have approached low-carbon concrete in different ways. This adoption creates a common reference point that the entire supply chain can use," Mr Kilgariff said.
"It provides clarity about how concrete is performing from a carbon perspective and supports more consistent decision-making on projects."
The Australian Adoption extends the system to cover a wide range of strengths, reflecting the variety of concrete used across Australian construction and infrastructure projects.
"We've taken a strong global framework and made sure it works for Australia," Mr Kilgariff said.
"The extended strength range, alignment with local data and straightforward table format mean the ratings can be used immediately by both government and industry."
He said the new guide complements the industry's broader decarbonisation agenda, including CCAA's Decarbonisation Pathways for the Australian Cement and Concrete Sector and the Industry Decarbonisation Facilitation Plan.
"The framework builds on the sector's commitment to net zero carbon cement and concrete by 2050," Mr Kilgariff said.
"This guide is another practical tool that supports those goals and helps project teams make clearer, more consistent decisions about the carbon performance of concrete.
"The release also aligns closely with the recently published National Sustainable Procurement in Infrastructure Guideline endorsed by the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers' Meeting (ITMM), which makes clear that governments can influence emissions outcomes most effectively through procurement.
"This is an important milestone for our sector—one that will help drive lower-carbon outcomes across Australia's infrastructure pipeline by supporting the procurement pull-through needed to scale lower-carbon concrete solutions, and in turn help deliver a more sustainable built environment into the future."
About us:
About CCAA CCAA is the voice of Australia's heavy construction materials industry, an industry that generates over $15 billion annually and directly employs 30,000 Australians, with a further 80,000 employed indirectly. CCAA members produce most of Australia's cement, concrete, and aggregates, which are essential to the nation's building and construction sectors.
