TSA Technical Series: Lowering Your Concrete's Carbon Footprint

It’s hard to overstate just how ubiquitous concrete is. After water, it is the second most consumed substance in the world, not to mention the globe’s most widely-used building material. So when it comes to climate action, anything we can do to lower its carbon footprint will go a long way in reducing the environmental impact of the construction industry. 

For our second TSA Technical Lecture with Rob Cooney of the Cement Association of Canada, we’ll be taking a deeper dive into the tools and strategies that design professionals can use to reduce the carbon footprint of their concrete projects. This webinar will demystify Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), explore how carbon budgeting frameworks are applied, and outline specification approaches that drive lower-carbon concrete outcomes. Attendees will also learn how to integrate carbon accounting into project delivery and how to specify concrete in ways that lower emissions and unlock innovation.

During this session, our speaker will:

• Explain how to read and apply EPDs for cement and concrete products, including key metrics, interpretation pitfalls, and regional considerations.
• Demonstrate carbon budgeting concepts and how they inform design decisions, procurement strategies, and project-level carbon targets.
• Provide guidance on specifications changes that support lower-carbon concrete—including schedule considerations, mix flexibility, and accepted best practices.

This session builds on part one of this lecture series, TSA Technical Series: Cement, Concrete, and the Path to Decarbonization, for which a recording is available for TSA Members in our Past Lectures Library.

TSA MEMBERS: This event is free for TSA Members using the discount code found in the TSA Bulletin and on your Member Dashboard. Not a member yet? Membership is open to everyone and you can join here (student memberships are free!).

OAA MEMBERS: This lecture is eligible for 1 OAA Structured Learning Hour and meets the OAA criteria for mandatory structured learning hours focused on Climate Action as part of the 2024-2026 Continuing Education cycle. When registering, please include your full name as registered with the OAA to ensure your certificate of participation is credited properly. Please also include an email address you check frequently to ensure you receive our certificate in a timely manner.