GCCA Global Low Carbon Ratings for Concrete and Cement

The GCCA Global Low Carbon Ratings give cement and concrete products a simple, globally consistent rating based on their embodied carbon. They support transparent reporting, procurement and product comparison, and the industry's path to net zero concrete by 2050.

Introduction

The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has developed a standardised low carbon rating system for concrete and cement. It helps producers, specifiers and procurers report, compare and buy lower-carbon products on a consistent basis, supporting global efforts to reach net zero by 2050.

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GCCA Global Ratings for Concrete

The GCCA Global Ratings for Concrete put into practice the numerical definitions the GCCA introduced at COP29 in November 2024 (read more in our article on the definitions). They classify concrete products by their Global Warming Potential (GWP), in kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per cubic metre (kg CO₂e/m³).

How the concrete ratings work

The ratings use two criteria: GWP (kg CO₂e/m³) and concrete strength (MPa). Strength matters because higher-strength concrete generally needs more cement and so has a higher carbon footprint. Users select the strength of the concrete they specify or produce, then read off the rating from the chart or table below.

There are seven ratings, from AA to F:

• AA, near zero emissions concrete: builds on the International Energy Agency (IEA) near-zero definition for cement and the GCCA 2050 roadmap assumptions for the efficient use of cement in concrete and fully decarbonised electricity and transport.
• A to F: bands defined by equally spaced carbon footprint values.

Figure 1: GCCA Global Low Carbon Ratings for concrete

Table 1: Upper limit of each rating, in kg CO₂e/m³, by specified concrete cylinder strength

GCCA Global Ratings for Cement

The GCCA Global Ratings for Cement put into practice the numerical definitions for cement, also introduced at COP29 in November 2024. They classify cement products by GWP, in kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per tonne of cement (kg CO₂e/t).

Some countries are expected to adopt only the concrete ratings, because concrete is the final product. This is in line with the GCCA roadmap to net zero concrete, which takes a whole-life view.

How the cement ratings work

There are seven ratings, from AA to F:

• AA, near zero emissions cement: based on the decarbonisation of cement in the GCCA global roadmap to net zero.
• A to F: bands defined by equally spaced carbon footprint values, built on the IEA low-emission definitions for cement production.

Each country makes a one-off choice of clinker-to-cement ratio and uses the global cement ratings chart (Figure 3) to calculate its own rating values. Figure 2 shows an example using a clinker-to-cement ratio of 0.706, the value adopted by Germany, which developed its VDZ carbon classes in parallel with the GCCA.

Figure 2: Worked example for a clinker-to-cement ratio of 0.706

Figure 3: GCCA Global Low Carbon Ratings for cement. Each country sets its specific rating values once by applying the formula.

Using the ratings with EPDs

The ratings are based on the GWP reported in Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Producers using the GCCA EPD Tool can generate the EPD data needed to rate their cement and concrete products. Request a demonstration to find out more.