For the building sector, which alone accounts for around 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, the race against decarbonisation has begun. Forced to reinvent themselves, manufacturers are doubling down and multiplying innovations.
The first low-carbon real estate fair was held in Paris in September 2021, with the distribution of prizes and the creation of new labels as key. Professionals have no choice. In France, the new RE2020 regulations impose a division by three of the carbon footprint of new buildings.
Use of bio-based materials
Even concrete is undergoing a revolution. Much research is carried out today to “green” cement, the most polluting of its constituents. “It alone represents 1.8% of France’s CO2 emissions and 7 to 8% worldwide”, recalls Guy Sidos, CEO of the cement manufacturer Vicat. This family business, whose founder, Louis Vicat, invented the first artificial cement in 1817, is now developing a range of concrete, Deca, whose carbon footprint is 20 to 40% lower than that of standard products, with the same equivalent properties and prices.
“We are working on new binders that emit less CO2, as well as on improving industrial processes. For example, to heat the ovens, we are abandoning fossil fuels which are gradually being replaced by waste,” explain Guy Sidos.
This year, Vicat is even to launch a concrete with a carbon footprint reduction of almost 90% compared to conventional concrete, thanks to the use of a biosourced material, biochar, made from forestry and agricultural residues. . “The large construction groups are very demanding, but the implementation of many standards is slowing down the movement a little”note with the CEO.
Concrete from excavation soil
At Saint-Gobain, the focus is also on construction chemistry. With two major acquisitions last year (the French Chryso and the American GCP), the group has even become the number one in this sector, which boasts double-digit growth. “The use of new admixtures and additives makes it possible to greatly reduce the carbon content of concrete”, underlines David Molho, general manager of the “high performance solutions” branch.
The group will also develop construction offers using excavated earth, to which a patented low-carbon binder is added. “In the coming months, we will be offering earth concrete blocks or shuttered concrete in timber frame houses,” says Patrice Richard, president of the distribution branch of Saint-Gobain in France, which notably owns the Point P brand. He highlights a very abundant raw material, while sand and gravel resources are dwindling.