California Coal-Fired Cement Plants to Achieve Net-Zero by 2045
California aims to achieve net-zero emissions for cement use by 2045. The state's cement plants are heavily reliant on coal, which is a key source of carbon emissions.
California has set a goal to achieve net-zero emissions for cement use by 2045. Cement production is a significant source of carbon emissions, with coal being a key fuel for cement kilns.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) notes that cement production accounts for 90% of concrete's carbon footprint1. In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 596, which requires strategic planning to reduce GHG emissions to 40% of 1990 baseline levels by 2035 and net-zero GHG emissions in the state by 2045. The law also funds decarbonization research and implementation2.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) hosted a workshop in May 2023 to advance a plan to meet the state's net-zero mandates. The key goals set by CARB span from the present to 2045, including developing a comprehensive strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045, assessing the feasibility of achieving interim targets by 2028, and achieving interim targets by 203513.
The state's cement plants produced 2% of the state's total GHG emissions in 2017, making cement the second-largest industrial source of carbon emissions in California after oil and gas production2. The state's cement plants are heavily reliant on coal, and the use of fossil fuels to fire cement kilns is a key source of carbon emissions.
In 2019, the eight cement plants operating in California produced about 10.1 million metric tons of cement and emitted 7.94 million metric tons of CO2e3.
Sources:
1 Specify Concrete
