The report, “Lower Carbon Concrete in Greater Los Angeles”, highlights core barriers, recommendations, and a new regional working group being convened by USGBC-CA
LOS ANGELES, CA (September 24, 2026) Greater Los Angeles is one of the largest concrete markets in the country, and concrete is a significant contributor to construction-related embodied carbon due to its scale of use. The region is consuming an estimated 15 to 20 million cubic yards of ready-mix concrete and roughly five million tons of cement annually—approximately equivalent to filling one Olympic swimming pool every 2 hours. Crucially, the cement delivered to the region carries some of the highest carbon intensity in the country. Today USGBC California released a regional report, “Lower Carbon Concrete in Greater Los Angeles: A Market Landscape and Roadmap Toward 2028 and Beyond“.
The report, a first of its kind, presents key findings from a joint regional Request for Information (RFI) issued in May 2026, in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, the City of Long Beach, and the County of Los Angeles, to evaluate commercial availability, material performance, pricing, and supply chain readiness for lower-carbon concrete solutions across the Greater Los Angeles region. The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games represent a generational opportunity to push for transformation in this market, but the vision and benefits extend far beyond a single event.
The report highlights core barriers to scaling lower-carbon concrete – lack of standardized specifications, a lack of reliable demand, and permitting timelines – and makes recommendations to advance the market through coordinated pilot projects, procurement and policy. The goal is making lower carbon concrete the standard practice in Southern California. USGBC California plans to convene a regional working group to help support and guide the process.
“Los Angeles has an enormous opportunity to leverage our 2028 Olympic moment to change what gets built here long after the Games are over. This report shows that lower carbon concrete solutions are commercially ready today. By updating public specifications, procurement pathways, and working across jurisdictions, we can make these materials no longer the exception, but standard practice across Southern California,” said Ben Stapleton, CEO of USGBC California. “This is exactly the kind of work USGBC California exists to do: translate innovation into adoption, policy into implementation, and ambitious climate goals into practical change.”
The report was previewed at USGBC California’s Carbon Forward Summit on September 17th, an annual event centered on advancing lower-carbon materials and sustainable construction. During the morning discussion, the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering presented its updated Buy Clean California Act policy, which includes Low Carbon Concrete (LCC) standards. The City also shared initial results from a pilot initiative that demonstrated success with only a small material premium and workability similar to conventional concrete.
Additionally, Steve Baule, Executive Officer, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Energy and Sustainability, noted that public procurement sends the market signal. The volume of material that cities and regional agencies buy can reshape demand, creating the opportunity for cooperative “piggyback” contracts among them. Keith Hoey, City Engineer for City of Long Beach, added that lower-carbon provisions need to be added to the Greenbook and Caltrans standards, the primary specifications guidance for many Southern California agencies.
“Tackling the climate crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck approach and strong public-private partnerships. I commend USGBC California for working with Los Angeles County, cities, and industry to cost-effectively drive down emissions from construction. We will continue to lead by example and with close partnerships,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath.
panel. (Courtesy of USGBC California)
The Why, The Now, and How to Begin
Unlike operational carbon tied to energy consumption throughout a building’s lifespan, embodied carbon occurs upfront, before a building becomes operational. Embodied carbon represents the sum of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated throughout a material’s lifecycle prior to its operational use, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, transport, assembly, maintenance, and demolition.
Existing lower-carbon concrete mix designs could lower the regional concrete supply’s global warming potential (GWP) by up to 25%, at or near cost parity with conventional concrete. Over a longer horizon, capital investments in new kiln capacity, marine import terminals, and ready-mix silo storage could more than double that reduction.
Public agencies can lead by example by specifying lower-carbon concrete across public works projects, especially those for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, thereby demonstrating product value and accessibility, providing sharable qualification processes, and providing demand certainty to manufacturers and investors. Based on the report, lower-embodied-carbon materials are evaluated for the following specific project types:
- Sidewalks, Curbs, and Gutters
- Streets, Alleyways, and Pavements
- Transit Infrastructure
- Plazas and Public Realm Improvements
- Retaining Walls and Sound Barriers
- Planters and Site Furnishings: Heavy Structural & Civil Works
“Los Angeles pours millions of cubic yards of concrete every year, but we rarely account for the climate pollution associated with it. Changing what goes into our concrete is one of the most practical steps we can take to reduce emissions from construction. This report shows the solutions are already here, and most are available at or near cost parity. Now we need to modernize our standards, coordinate across the region, and use the scale of our public investments to make lower-carbon concrete standard practice,” said City of Los Angeles Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky.
Paralympic Games (Report, pg. 6)
RFI Submitters and Findings
The RFI generated submissions from 29 product-based vendors and one regional trade association. The product respondents comprise 16 material technology providers, three cement manufacturers, six precast/modular producers, an active ready-mix supplier, a software optimization platform, and two structural circularity collaborations. 60% maintain an active California manufacturing presence (see report for additional detail).
Key Findings:
- Public Pilots Support Validation and Adoption: Municipal pilots can generate field performance and constructibility data to guide stakeholders.
- Cost Parity: Lower-carbon concrete solutions are already commercially viable in Greater LA. 79% of reported solutions are said to be available today at or near cost parity.
- Align Material Traits with Application Demands: Understanding the difference between new forms of Lower Carbon Concrete (LCC) and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) mixes, and using LCC mixes where their performance is “different better” should be encouraged first.
- Range of Carbon-Displacement + Carbon-Negative Options: In addition to solutions that reduce or replace) the volume of cement in concrete, additional carbon-negative technologies (e.g. biochar, bio-cements, and mineralized aggregates) remain valuable tools for deep decarbonization.
- Regional Circularity Supports Embodied Carbon Reduction: Active regional collaborations demonstrate that construction waste conversion and material reuse are operational today. Municipalities can scale these systems through public works, establishing closed-loop programs where local contractors haul demolished concrete, such as broken sidewalk panels, back to suppliers to be crushed into recycled aggregate for new sidewalks.
Next Steps
Achieving meaningful embodied carbon reductions in Greater Los Angeles is viable today. The technology exists. However, scaling these solutions from near-term baselines to long-term potential requires navigating distinct physical and economic trade-offs, and moving beyond isolated successes and project-by-project exceptions to establish more balanced risk alignment.
To deliver immediate climate benefits at little to no extra cost while building long-term industrial capacity, regional action should focus on three foundational pillars:
- Modernize specifications and adopt performance standards, harmonizing public works specifications around carbon-intensity limits.
- Launch a joint pilot program and qualified products list. Agencies should execute a coordinated portfolio of municipal pilot pours to build engineering confidence, train field crews, and establish a shared approval pipeline.
- Form a regional working group to bring lower-carbon concrete to scale. Utilize USGBC California’s regional network to bridge the gap between public policy goals and industry execution.
Transforming low-carbon concrete into standard practice requires coordinated leadership across public agencies, venue operators, material manufacturers, structural engineers, and trade contractors. The upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games offer a once-in-a-generation platform to showcase and drive Southern California’s long-term commitment to sustainable infrastructure by accelerating policy adoption, modernizing public works specifications, and aligning regional logistics corridors.
To access the complete report and respondent directory, please click here.
USGBC California is grateful for the support of the Report (alpha order): Block Design Collective, California Masonry Council, CalPortland, National Ready Mix Concrete Company.
For further information or additional needs regarding the report, please contact Julie Du Brow at julie@usgbc-ca.org.
About USGBC California
USGBC California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and member-based organization working to make California’s built environment more sustainable, resilient, and equitable. An independent chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, it brings together green building communities across the state, from the Redwood Empire to San Diego. The organization helps leaders act on climate change, public health, and environmental justice. It builds a diverse talent pipeline through training, mentorship, and direct-to-community programs. It connects people across disciplines to drive systemic change, and it advocates for policy that meets the most urgent environmental and social challenges of our time. (www.usgbc-ca.org)
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