5
achieve net-zero emissions from cement production by
2045, with a 40% reduction below baseline levels by 2035.
Furthermore, all cement manufacturing plants that emit
more than 25,000 MTCO2e per year must adhere to the
State’s Cap-and-Trade program. (California Air Resources
Board,2023 California State Legislature,2021, California
Air Resources Board, 2012)
Several cities in the United States have developed robust
climate action plans that specifically target emissions
associated with construction materials. For instance,
the City of Austin, Texas recently announced efforts to
procure low-embodied-carbon materials such as cement
(City of Austin, 2024). Similarly, the City of Houston
(City of Houston, 2020) has incorporated carbon abate-
ment strategies into its climate action plans, focusing on
carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) tech-
nologies for cement and concrete. These initiatives reflect
a growing trend among local governments to address
carbon footprint of construction materials as part of their
broader decarbonization goals. The increasing adoption
of cement industry decarbonization strategies in states
such as California and Texas, along with proposed climate
legislation in Missouri, holds considerable significance
given these states’ substantial contributions to national
CO₂ emissions from their cement industries. Our analy-
sis of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions data obtained from
the EPA’s greenhouse gas reporting program (U.S. EPA,
2024b), for the cement manufacturing sector from 2010
to 2023 (Figure 3A) shows that the top 10 states have
accounted for a significant majority of the total emissions,
ranging from around 65% to over 68% during the 14-year
period. Notably, cement plants in Texas, California, and
Missouri have consistently ranked among the top CO₂
emitters within the 14-year period. While cement manu-
facturing plants are ubiquitous across the country, certain
states (as shown in Figure 3B) dominate cement produc-
tion in the U.S. (Pisciotta et al., 2023), and this geograph-
ical concentration has significant implications for industry
decarbonization efforts. The consistently high emission
levels in the top 10 states over the years suggest policies
and interventions targeting these states could have a signif-
icant impact by reducing a substantial amount of national
greenhouse gas emissions from the cement industry.
However, this concentration also presents a signifi-
cant challenge in achieving emissions reductions in a small
number of states that account for a disproportionately
large share of total emissions, presenting both a strategic
decarbonization opportunity and a challenge in addressing
Table 1. Legislative and other relevant efforts relating to decarbonization in the cement or concrete sector
State Legislative and other relevant efforts Reference
California Greenhouse gases: cement sector: net-zero emissions
strategy, Cap-and-Trade program
California Air Resources Board (2023), California State
Legislature (2021), California Air Resources Board
(2012)
Washington Environment and social outcome of building materials
production, buy clean and buy fair
Huang et al. (2022), Washington State Legislature
(2021), Washington State Office of Financial
Management (2023)
Colorado Buy Clean Colorado (BCCO) Act Buy Clean Colorado (2024)
Minnesota Buy Clean and Buy Fair Minnesota Act Minnesota House of Representatives (2023),
Minnesota Department of Administration (2024)
New jersey The purchase and use of low-embodied carbon
concrete
New Jersey Legislature (2023)
Missouri Missouri Climate Commitment Act Missouri House of Representatives Bill HB 1538
(2022)
New York The procurement of low embodied carbon concrete New York State Senate (2021)
Oregon Greenhouse gas emissions reduction within the states
transport sector
Oregon legislative assembly (2022)
Hawaii
(Honolulu city
council)
Resolution 18-283 concrete mix carbonation Honolulu City Council (2018), Hawaii Department of
Transportation (2019)
Illinois Concrete Carbon Utilization, Reduction, And
Removal Breakthrough Act
Illinois General Assembly (2024)
Maryland Buy Clean Maryland Act Maryland General Assembly (2023)
Massachusetts Buy clean initiative and the procurement of lower
embodied carbon construction materials
Hoffer (2023)
achieve net-zero emissions from cement production by
2045, with a 40% reduction below baseline levels by 2035.
Furthermore, all cement manufacturing plants that emit
more than 25,000 MTCO2e per year must adhere to the
State’s Cap-and-Trade program. (California Air Resources
Board,2023 California State Legislature,2021, California
Air Resources Board, 2012)
Several cities in the United States have developed robust
climate action plans that specifically target emissions
associated with construction materials. For instance,
the City of Austin, Texas recently announced efforts to
procure low-embodied-carbon materials such as cement
(City of Austin, 2024). Similarly, the City of Houston
(City of Houston, 2020) has incorporated carbon abate-
ment strategies into its climate action plans, focusing on
carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) tech-
nologies for cement and concrete. These initiatives reflect
a growing trend among local governments to address
carbon footprint of construction materials as part of their
broader decarbonization goals. The increasing adoption
of cement industry decarbonization strategies in states
such as California and Texas, along with proposed climate
legislation in Missouri, holds considerable significance
given these states’ substantial contributions to national
CO₂ emissions from their cement industries. Our analy-
sis of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions data obtained from
the EPA’s greenhouse gas reporting program (U.S. EPA,
2024b), for the cement manufacturing sector from 2010
to 2023 (Figure 3A) shows that the top 10 states have
accounted for a significant majority of the total emissions,
ranging from around 65% to over 68% during the 14-year
period. Notably, cement plants in Texas, California, and
Missouri have consistently ranked among the top CO₂
emitters within the 14-year period. While cement manu-
facturing plants are ubiquitous across the country, certain
states (as shown in Figure 3B) dominate cement produc-
tion in the U.S. (Pisciotta et al., 2023), and this geograph-
ical concentration has significant implications for industry
decarbonization efforts. The consistently high emission
levels in the top 10 states over the years suggest policies
and interventions targeting these states could have a signif-
icant impact by reducing a substantial amount of national
greenhouse gas emissions from the cement industry.
However, this concentration also presents a signifi-
cant challenge in achieving emissions reductions in a small
number of states that account for a disproportionately
large share of total emissions, presenting both a strategic
decarbonization opportunity and a challenge in addressing
Table 1. Legislative and other relevant efforts relating to decarbonization in the cement or concrete sector
State Legislative and other relevant efforts Reference
California Greenhouse gases: cement sector: net-zero emissions
strategy, Cap-and-Trade program
California Air Resources Board (2023), California State
Legislature (2021), California Air Resources Board
(2012)
Washington Environment and social outcome of building materials
production, buy clean and buy fair
Huang et al. (2022), Washington State Legislature
(2021), Washington State Office of Financial
Management (2023)
Colorado Buy Clean Colorado (BCCO) Act Buy Clean Colorado (2024)
Minnesota Buy Clean and Buy Fair Minnesota Act Minnesota House of Representatives (2023),
Minnesota Department of Administration (2024)
New jersey The purchase and use of low-embodied carbon
concrete
New Jersey Legislature (2023)
Missouri Missouri Climate Commitment Act Missouri House of Representatives Bill HB 1538
(2022)
New York The procurement of low embodied carbon concrete New York State Senate (2021)
Oregon Greenhouse gas emissions reduction within the states
transport sector
Oregon legislative assembly (2022)
Hawaii
(Honolulu city
council)
Resolution 18-283 concrete mix carbonation Honolulu City Council (2018), Hawaii Department of
Transportation (2019)
Illinois Concrete Carbon Utilization, Reduction, And
Removal Breakthrough Act
Illinois General Assembly (2024)
Maryland Buy Clean Maryland Act Maryland General Assembly (2023)
Massachusetts Buy clean initiative and the procurement of lower
embodied carbon construction materials
Hoffer (2023)