Carbon Reduction

Reducing CO2 Emissions to Reach Net Zero by 2050

Summit is dedicated to a comprehensive corporate sustainability program, advancing our goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Through broad sustainability initiatives, we are committed to positioning Summit as a leader in our sector’s decarbonization efforts by driving innovation in both our products and operations.

Our Approach to Reducing Carbon Emissions

To drive carbon reduction across our operations, we’ve equipped every Summit-owned vehicle with fuel consumption and mileage efficiency monitors to reduce fuel use, enhance efficiency, and lower emissions. Additionally, we’ve developed a long-term strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from our cement operations, recognizing this as a vital step in combating climate change.

Our comprehensive approach combines leveraging current technologies, supporting the growth of a low-carbon economy, and ultimately adopting best-in-class solutions to eliminate carbon emissions from our processes.

Summit is also eagerly exploring emerging technologies, with the goal to ultimately show a clear path toward a true net zero by 2050 with less reliance on market-based offsets. This exploration includes the evaluation of new technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration and fuel switching.

2030 Targets

2050 Targets

M MT CO2e Emittes
(M MT CO2e)

2030 Targets

2050 Targets

1.6 – 2.0
0.5 – 1.2
With offsets to get to net zero
CEMENT EMISSIONS INTENSITY
(M MT CO2e / mt produced)

2030 Targets

2050 Targets

0.65
0.25
With offsets to get to net zero
RENEWABLE POWER
(by percentage)

2030 Targets

2050 Targets

30%
100%

Learn more about our comprehensive approach to reducing carbon emissions.

Learn More

Reducing Carbon Emissions from Cement Production

As an industry leader, we have championed efforts to reduce the emissions impact of cement production, including:

Embarking upon an expansion at our Green America Recycling facility to increase our use of alternative fuels in cement production

Piloting next-generation low carbon concrete
Learn More

Launching Portland Limestone Cement (PLC), a lower clinker factor cement in certain markets, with plans to expand further

Partnering with universities investigating artificial intelligence solutions for ready-mix concrete optimization

Advancing More Sustainable Concrete Solutions

Concrete is the most widely used material on Earth after water, accounting for about 50% of all man-made materials by mass. Given its prevalence, even small adjustments in its composition can significantly impact the construction industry’s carbon footprint. That’s why we are dedicated to advancing sustainable solutions, such as Portland Limestone Cement and CarbonCure technology, as part of our path toward a more sustainable future.

CarbonCure

Summit is actively piloting CarbonCure’s sustainable concrete technology, which injects a precise amount of CO₂ into concrete during mixing. This process mineralizes the CO₂, enhancing concrete’s performance and compressive strength while enabling reductions in cement content and carbon footprint. In 2021, we completed pilot testing at two operations—Con-Agg Companies in Columbia, Missouri, and Allied Concrete in Houston, Texas—and are now expanding CarbonCure to four additional plants in Texas and seven in Utah in 2022.

Portland Limestone Cement

To address the need for reduced embodied carbon in construction, Portland cement manufacturers have developed Portland Limestone Cement (PLC)—a blended cement with higher limestone content. PLC offers the same functionality and performance as traditional cement but with an average 10% reduction in carbon footprint. Summit is actively promoting PLC to encourage broader adoption among suppliers and across the construction industry.

Every Step Counts

Some of the strategies we’re using to reduce carbon emissions:

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Plant optimization and efficiency

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Tracking vehicle fuel efficiency and driving reductions

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Converting from generator to line power to accelerate path to renewable power

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Evaluating fuel switching options for our plants

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Prioritizing lower carbon solutions as we replace property, plant and equipment

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Exploring carbon capture and sequestration opportunities

Cement Industry Roadmap

Percent changes
Source: Portland Cement Association Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, October 2021

Industry Leaders in Building a Sustainable Future

Cement is essential to society, especially as infrastructure development continues to grow. It is crucial for the industry to collaborate on innovative solutions to reduce our carbon footprint while supporting community infrastructure.

In October 2021, Summit took a significant step toward carbon neutrality by joining the Portland Cement Association’s (PCA) Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality. This roadmap outlines how the U.S. cement and concrete industry can collectively address climate change, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and overcome barriers to environmental progress.

The PCA Roadmap encourages a comprehensive range of reduction strategies for stakeholders across all stages of the material lifecycle. These strategies include reducing CO₂ from manufacturing, decreasing combustion emissions by adopting alternative fuels, and transitioning to renewable electricity sources.

Through collaboration with our industry partners, Summit is committed to driving broad adoption of sustainable solutions. This approach delivers near-term benefits while keeping us focused on the long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality.

 

Green America Recycling

Green America Recycling (GAR), a key component of Summit’s alternative fuel strategy, has sustainably repurposed waste materials for fuel in cement manufacturing for over three decades. Owned by Summit’s Continental Cement Company, GAR operates a Part B-permitted RCRA Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) facility adjacent to the Hannibal, Missouri, cement plant. GAR provides full-service waste management, including pre-qualification, unloading, and processing of both hazardous and non-hazardous RCRA solids and liquids.

We are expanding the GAR facility to further increase our use of alternative fuels in cement production, advancing our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Here’s how our process works:

To learn more about Green America Recycling:

Click Here

Download our complete 2023 ESG Report for more information about how we are working diligently to reach our sustainability goals

2023 ESG Report

Although Summit Materials, Inc. (“Summit,” or “Company”) believes that the
assumptions inherent in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, the reader
should not place undue reliance on these statements. Forward looking information is
prepared as of April 2, 2024. Please see our “Risk Factors” in Summit’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our
subsequent filings.