Realistic Strategies for Decarbonising Construction

Prof. Karen Scrivener, a leading expert in cement and materials research at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), will shed light on the role of the construction industry in global greenhouse gas emissions, which accounts for about 20% of man-made emissions annually. A particular focus is her research on LC3 cement (limestone-calcined clay cement), an innovative technology that has a significantly lower carbon footprint than conventional cement and is comparatively easy to implement.

Although LC3 can already be used on a large scale with existing technologies, there is currently a lack of incentives for widespread application. Given that 80% of new buildings in the next 25 years will be constructed in the Global South, it is crucial to accelerate the introduction of such innovative materials. Prof. Scrivener will explain how to drive this change and what strategies will enable a rapid and comprehensive reduction of emissions in the construction industry.

Prof. Dr. Karen Scrivener is a professor of materials at the EPFL in Switzerland and an internationally recognised expert in the field of cement and concrete research. With over 40 years of experience in materials science, she has contributed significantly to the development of sustainable building materials.

She is the author of more than 250 scientific publications and was elected a Fellow of the prestigious UK-based Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014. She is also a member of the UN Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) and the 10 Member Group that oversees the United Nations Scientific, Technological and Innovation (STI) mechanisms.

Prof. Scrivener is the inventor of LC3 (limestone-calcined clay cement), an innovative cement technology that has the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions by around 40% compared to conventional cement.