Quantifying Carbon - And ways to reduce it-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

Pdf Summary

The presentation explains how companies can measure and reduce their environmental impact, with a focus on greenhouse-gas emissions. A carbon footprint is calculated by multiplying the amount of a resource used by its emissions factor. For example, 1,000 cubic yards of concrete at 572 pounds of CO₂e per cubic yard produces 286 metric tons of CO₂e.<br /><br />Menard’s 2024 footprint was primarily Scope 3 emissions (87%), followed by Scope 1 (12%) and Scope 2 (0.4%). Concrete accounted for the largest share, at 68%, with cement at 10%, on-site diesel and steel at 8% each, and other sources making up the remainder. The company’s targets are to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 40% and Scope 3 emissions by 20% by 2030. Measuring emissions supports informed decisions, regulatory and market compliance, progress tracking, and potential cost savings.<br /><br />Recommended actions include reducing, reusing, and recycling materials; improving fuel efficiency; reducing equipment idling and unnecessary travel; and using renewable fuels. Scope 3 reductions can come from optimized designs, early coordination to avoid overdesign, lower-impact ground-improvement methods, recycled aggregates, and lower-carbon concrete mixes.<br /><br />Concrete optimization involves reducing cement and using alternative cementitious materials such as fly ash, slag, and silica fume while maintaining strength, pumpability, cost, and delivery requirements. Concrete emissions fell from 600 pounds of CO₂ per cubic yard in 2022 to 475 by the first quarter of 2025—a 20% reduction. The 2030 goal is for 90% of mixes to be low-carbon, averaging 350 pounds per cubic yard.<br /><br />Case studies illustrate savings through improving existing fill with rapid impact compaction, using wick drains and surcharge instead of concrete mixing columns beneath a slab, and adapting column depths to site conditions. One project saved 220 metric tons of CO₂e.

Keywords

carbon footprint

greenhouse-gas emissions

Scope 1

Scope 2

Scope 3

concrete emissions

low-carbon concrete

cement reduction

sustainable construction

carbon reduction targets