Ramping up momentum with policies and mindset changes

Cement products that are equivalent to Portland cement but come with a 30 per cent minimum carbon reduction and are on par in price already exist, and mandates can help accelerate industry adoption. vesnaandjic via getty images

Q&A with Stephanie Voysey, head of sustainability and environment, Western Canada, Lafarge Canada

How is the building materials industry preparing for a low-carbon future?

There has been a push to improve the environmental performance of the built environment, for example, through reducing embodied carbon in buildings as well as reducing the emissions associated with materials production. Our goal is to make buildings sustainable, so we offer lots of low-carbon solutions, including the world’s broadest range of green cement.

In addition to net-zero ambitions, we are also facing resource constraints, where sources of supplementary cementitious materials like slag and fly ash are dwindling, and this represents an opportunity for material innovation to come up with sustainable options to make up for that shortfall.

What are some of the barriers to adopting new solutions?

We see a hesitancy to make changes in the building sector that is mainly a matter of mindset. Many engineers and architects want to work with the materials they’re familiar with. If they’ve built a bridge 40 years ago, they are confident that the structure lasted for four decades. So, one of the main barriers is related to the effort that is required to get familiar with new materials.

At Lafarge Canada, we are spending quite a bit of time to educate buyers and engineers about low-carbon and circular economy options. For example, we have products that are equivalent to Portland cement, come with a 30 per cent minimum carbon reduction and are on par in price.

What is driving the shift towards sustainability, and how can efforts be accelerated?

We see the push for sustainability in buildings as largely driven by the ambition of private companies. Clients like Amazon, Microsoft or Mattamy Homes proactively ask us for low-carbon materials.

While politicians in Canada say they are on board with the move to a low-carbon economy, we don’t see the same level of interest from governments – and governments procure quite a bit of building materials.

This would change if we implemented mandates that require people to consider low-carbon solutions. If engineers and architects were mandated to achieve a minimum percentage of reduction of embodied carbon or use of circular economy materials in buildings, we would see much more momentum.

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