From today, all new public projects in Ireland must adhere to the State's newly introduced public procurement guidelines, which mandate a minimum of 30% clinker substitution in concrete products used in government and public works projects.

This significant step, announced by the Department of Enterprise, Trade, & Employment (DETE) earlier this year, marks a crucial milestone in Ireland’s commitment to reducing embodied carbon in construction.

Clinker the source of more than 90% of emissions from cement

Cement accounts for almost 5% of Ireland’s emissions. Given that clinker is the source of more than 90% of emissions from cement, this is a significant shift and sends a clear message to the construction industry to invest in low carbon products. Ecocem, a global provider of low-carbon cement solutions for more than 20 years in Ireland, has welcomed the move by the government. 

Susan McGarry, director of public affairs and sustainability, at Ecocem Global said: "Mandating green procurement requirements for low carbon cement is a bold step towards developing a more sustainable built environment. The new guidelines are an important milestone on the State’s journey towards reducing embodied carbon and developing a net-zero carbon society and economy by 2050, as outlined in the national policy position. 

“The focus on mandating low carbon materials for public procurement and specifically identifying clinker reduction targets will help deliver further decarbonisation in construction. 

“More widely, as the largest player in the market, the State is sending a strong signal not only to public bodies but to the wider construction industry that we need to accelerate the pace of decarbonisation and drive innovation in the development of low carbon cements and concretes. 

“Ireland is now at the forefront of public policy for cement decarbonisation in Europe. This approach could serve as a model for other countries when looking at ways of accelerating change within an industry, without excessive cost.”