Heat waves causing widespread loss of life and maximum temperatures observed crossing all time high values are stark reminders, if any reminder is needed, of the accelerating spectre of global warming. Loss of human lives, damage to properties and reduction in productivity cannot be easily expressed in financial terms but it is humungous.

There are many contributory factors to the phenomenon of global warming and concrete construction is one of the major ones. While concrete is a wonderful material with many advantages over its rivals, its high carbon footprint is a cause of concern. It is unlikely that the volume of concrete construction will come down in the near future. Therefore, all those associated with concrete must pay attention to minimizing its carbon footprint.

We can start with creating economic (yet safe) designs, minimize cement consumption through use of supplementary cementitious materials and above all construct durable concrete structures to extract more years from the same carbon expenditure.

As a responsible stakeholder in these fields, GEM is committed to doing its best in supporting our clients to move in this direction.