Cited by 113CO2 Sequestration and Geologic InteractionsCarbon Dioxide Capture TechnologiesConcrete and Cement Materials Research

Building materials could store more than 16 billion tonnes of CO 2 annually

Open access
Van Roijen, Elisabeth, Miller, Sabbie A., Davis, Steven J.·2025·Science

Abstract

Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions likely entails not only lowering emissions but also deploying carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) removal technologies. We explored the annual potential to store CO 2 in building materials. We found that fully replacing conventional building materials with CO 2 -storing alternatives in new infrastructure could store as much as 16.6 ± 2.8 billion tonnes of CO 2 each year—roughly 50% of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions in 2021. The total storage potential is far more sensitive to the scale of materials used than the quantity of carbon stored per unit mass of materials. Moreover, the carbon storage reservoir of building materials will grow in proportion to demand for such materials, which could reduce demand for more costly or environmentally risky geological, terrestrial, or ocean storage.

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Crossref · 10.1126/science.adq8594

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  • The large amount of cement used in products to date arguably renders recarbonation a sizeable global CO2 sink which is not yet fully accounted for in climate models and mitigation plans.

    “Nonetheless, the large amount of cement used in products to date, arguably renders recarbonation a sizeable global CO2 sink which is not yet fully accounted for in climate models and mitigation plans [12 -16].”

    From Isotope chemistry to trace carbon mineralization in construction materials (2026) · cites this paper as [15]

    The introduction (page unavailable) says that the large mass of building materials offers carbon-storage potential and notes studies of concrete carbonation at end of life. The paper estimates potential storage from alternative materials, but the passages do not establish that recarbonation of cement already used is a sizeable existing global sink or that climate models and mitigation plans fail to account for it. (LLM, conf=0.79)

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Research works printed but not linked: 18

  1. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UNEP, 2023), pp. 35-115.
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Authors
Van Roijen, E., Miller, S. A., & Davis, S. J.
Affiliations
  • Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
  • University of California, Davis (US)
  • Stanford University (US)
Venue
Science
Published
2025-01-10
Volume
387
Issue
6730
Pages
176-182
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W4406201546
Cited by
112
References
79
Citations by year
2026: 65 · 2025: 47
FWCI
30.99
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (2143981)
  • Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET-2143981)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Civil and Structural Engineering › Concrete and Cement Materials Research
Keywords
CO2 sequestration, building materials, carbon capture and storage, carbon sequestration, net-zero emissions, carbon dioxide removal, carbon storage potential, infrastructure requirements, geological storage

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