The Roadmap to beyond net zero sets out the mechanism for sector decarbonisation and estimates the impact of the decarbonisation levers. What it doesn’t do is set out when each element of decarbonisation is likely to occur which important to track industry progress to our goals.
Here however, we are able to show a more detailed pathway to net zero, which represents just one possible trajectory to achieving our net zero ambition. The pathway is an estimate based on published information and our knowledge of current Government policies. It is subject to change and is reliant on the implementation of Government policy and regulation, as well as access to infrastructure and decarbonisation technologies including cost competitive renewable electricity, access to waste biomass fuels and deployment of CO2 transport and storage infrastructure.
Significant decarbonisation has already been achieved across the sector since 1990. However, in our roadmap we set 2018 as the baseline and based on this pathway scenario, we estimate a CO2 reduction of approximately 28% by 2030, 63% by 2035, and achieving net zero by 2050.
Carbon capture, use or storage (CCUS) is key to the decarbonisation of cement and concrete. The pathway shown here assumes that the CCUS projects already announced but in the early stages of development will be fully implemented. However, the timings of these projects will only become clear following further Government announcements on the cluster sequencing process.
It is important to note that the pathway focuses on the actions required to mitigate CO2 emissions to reach net zero. Our roadmap also takes into account the benefits of concrete in use, such as carbonation and thermal mass, that will enable the cement and concrete sector to go beyond net zero and become net negative by 2050. The MPA trajectory is based on the main technology levers previously set out in our industry roadmap.
However, we acknowledge that other levers such as material efficiency can enable further carbon reductions. We have no current means or methodology in place for measuring this, and consequently it is not included in our roadmap. The trajectory shows one possible pathway to net zero for the sector as a whole and does not reflect the opinion of individual member companies of the MPA or the ability of individual sites to decarbonise.