Concrete production supports over 166,000 jobs and contributes $76 billion annually to Canada’s economy. Cement — the critical binding agent in concrete — accounts for 7 per cent of global GHG emissions and 1.5 per cent of Canada’s emissions. Lower-carbon concrete is key to creating “One Canadian Economy” — strengthening communities, supporting high-quality jobs, and securing a competitive, future-ready economy.
Our report Building One Canadian Economy: Accelerating adoption of lower-carbon concrete in Ontario and Alberta, outlines strategies for Ontario and Alberta to accelerate the use of lower-carbon concrete in major infrastructure projects. By modernizing specifications, adopting Buy Clean procurement, and investing in workforce readiness, provinces can strengthen infrastructure, create durable, high-quality Canadian jobs, and demonstrate national clean construction leadership.
In Alberta, the cement and concrete industry generates $16 billion annually and supports 39,000 jobs across manufacturing, construction, transportation and engineering sectors. In Ontario, the cement and concrete industry generates $26 billion annually and supports 62,000 jobs across the mining, manufacturing, construction and engineering sectors.
Nearly 1/3 of concrete in Canada is purchased by governments. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's Standard on Embodied Carbon in Construction requires a 10% reduction of ready-mix concrete used in government projects.
The report recommends provinces align concrete procurement with the federal Standard on Embodied Carbon in Construction — which targets a 10% reduction in embodied carbon for concrete — and move codes, standards, and specifications to a performance-based approach harmonized across jurisdictions. It finds that supporting domestic production and workforce readiness enhances competitiveness and drives private-sector innovation and investment, while coordinated provincial adoption signals leadership, harmonizes markets, and positions Canada as a global clean construction leader.
Recommendations
To expand the use of lower-carbon concrete, support Canadian innovation, and build local jobs, provinces should:
- Modernize codes and standards by shifting from prescriptive to performance-based requirements and improving alignment across provinces and municipalities.
- Leverage public procurement — including adoption of the federal Standard on Embodied Carbon in Construction — to provide predictable, technology-agnostic demand signals aligning with “One Canadian Economy.”
- Align private-sector procurement by leveraging carbon-pricing revenues and other fiscal tools to fund incentives that lower costs and accelerate the commercialization of lower-carbon concrete.
- Strengthen workforce readiness by consolidating guidance, expanding training and developing a practical lower-carbon concrete toolkit for designers, engineers and municipal decision-makers.
