Sustainable sourcing of raw materials for the built environment

Abstract

Although the ongoing discussion on cement and concrete sustainability is mostly focused on CO2 emissions, the management of raw materials used for construction also deserves the attention of the scientific community and industry. Each year, the construction and building sector incorporates about 40% of the over 90 billion tonnes of raw materials extracted from the Earth’s spheres. Raw materials supply chains can be exposed to risks of critical shortages and price volatility, and their transport over long distances strongly contributes to the overall anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Therefore, deploying strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of raw materials supply, in line with what envisaged by Sustainable Development Goal 12 will be crucial to the achievement of a sustainable construction industry.