Reaching net-zero carbon emissions in construction supply chains – Analysis of a Swedish road construction project

• Published in: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews Vol. 120; p. 109651
• Main Authors: Karlsson, Ida, Rootzén, Johan, Johnsson, Filip
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2020
• Subjects: Annan naturresursteknik; Carbon abatement; Climate change impact; co2 emissions; Decarbonization; Economics and Business; Ekonomi och näringsliv; Embodied carbon; Embodied carbon mitigation; Emissions reduction; energy; Energy & Fuels; GHG emissions; greenhouse-gas emissions; industry; life-cycle assessment; Low carbon technology; mitigation; options; Other Environmental Engineering; reduction; Road construction; Scenario analysis; scenarios; Science & Technology - Other Topics; Supply chain; Sustainability transition; Sustainable construction; Transport infrastructure; Value chain; HVO; STA; Road construction; Decarbonization; Transport infrastructure; ERS; GHG; GHG emissions; Low carbon technology; WMA; Embodied carbon mitigation; Supply chain; Scenario analysis; CCS; Sustainability transition; Carbon abatement; Sustainable construction; BAT; Value chain; PH; Climate change impact; Emissions reduction; TGR
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2019.109651
• ISSN: 1364-0321; 1879-0690

Recent estimates suggest that the construction sector accounts for approximately one quarter of global CO2 emissions. This paper assesses the potential for reducing the climate impact of road construction. The study is structured as a participatory integrated assessment with involvement from key stakeholders in the supply chain, supported by energy and material flow mapping, an extensive literature review and a scenario analysis. The results indicate that it is technically possible to halve road construction CO2 emissions with today's best available technologies and practices, to abate more than three quarters of the emissions by 2030 and achieve close to net zero emissions by 2045. Realising the current potential would rely on sufficient availability of sustainably produced second-generation biofuels, indicating a need to speed up the implementation of alternative abatement measures, including optimization of material use and mass handling requirements, increased recycling of steel, asphalt and aggregates and enhanced use of alternative binders in concrete. Policy measures and procurement strategies should be aligned to support these measures with a clear supply chain focus. For deep decarbonization several key opportunities and obstacles for realisation of breakthrough technologies for basic industry are highlighted – including electrification and carbon capture for steel and cement, and hybridisation and electrification for heavy transport and construction equipment. There is a clear need to prepare for deeper abatement and associated transformative shifts already now and to carefully consider the pathway of getting there while avoiding pitfalls along the way, such as overreliance on biofuels or cost optimizations which cannot be scaled up to the levels required. •Achieving current halving and close to zero CO2 road construction by 2045 possible.•Upscaling of sustainable biofuel and recycling are priorities in the short-term.•Zero CO2 requires electrification of machinery/transports and basic industry (or CCS).•To realise this: Develop, monitor and coordinate industry decarbonization pathways.•Build on, support and strengthen cross-sectorial collaborations.