Synopsis: India’s cement industry may get formal recognition for carbon absorption by concrete, with a new GCCA India–NCB report proposing inclusion of CO₂ uptake as a carbon sink in national climate reporting, even as testing labs were launched to strengthen quality and sustainability standards.
New Delhi: In a move that could reshape carbon accounting for one of India’s most emission-intensive industries, the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) India and the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) on Thursday released a report assessing carbon uptake by concrete in the Indian context.
The report, unveiled on NCB’s 63rd Foundation Day, evaluates the absorption of carbon dioxide through the natural carbonation process in concrete and suggests that this uptake be factored into India’s official climate reporting frameworks. The study will be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for possible inclusion as a carbon sink in India’s National Communications to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Based on the Tier-I methodology of Sweden-based IVL Environment Research Institute, the report notes that while the cement industry contributes nearly 7% of global anthropogenic emissions, it also has the potential to reabsorb a portion of CO₂ over the lifecycle of concrete structures. This is significant for India, where cement demand is rising in line with infrastructure and housing growth.
Alongside the report release, NCB inaugurated a Gypsum Board Testing Laboratory and a Micro-Characterisation Laboratory, aimed at strengthening quality assurance and standardisation in building materials. The gypsum lab gains relevance in light of the Gypsum-Based Building Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024, while the micro-characterisation facility is equipped for advanced analysis of cementitious materials.
Officials said the initiatives underscore the government’s broader push to align industrial growth with sustainability. Economic Advisor to DPIIT Urmila highlighted NCB’s role in research and capacity building, while CPWD’s special director general Mohd Kamal Ahmad pointed to its contribution in promoting sustainable construction practices.
The report also outlines future steps to improve data robustness and refine estimation methods, a move that could influence how emissions from the cement sector are measured and mitigated. For an industry often labelled “hard-to-abate”, formal recognition of carbon uptake could offer both policy relief and a more nuanced picture of its climate impact.