Monday, 16 March 2026
Austroads has released practical guidance to support transport agencies and industry in managing emissions associated with concrete used in road and rail projects, contributing to Australia and New Zealand’s transition to net zero while maintaining safety, durability and performance.
Concrete is the most widely used construction material in transport infrastructure and a major source of embodied carbon, which refers to the greenhouse gas emissions generated during the extraction, manufacture, transport and construction of materials, before an asset is in use. Because these emissions are locked in at the point of construction, addressing embodied carbon in concrete is critical to reducing the overall carbon footprint of transport infrastructure.
The guidance provides clear, practical pathways for agencies to reduce embodied carbon while maintaining long term asset performance. It supports informed decision making by clarifying opportunities within existing standards, strengthening the use of carbon data, improving understanding of performance outcomes, and encouraging collaboration across industry and supply chains.
“The guidance builds on work already underway across the sector. Reducing emissions from concrete represents one of the most immediate opportunities available to transport agencies. Concrete accounts for a large proportion of embodied emissions in transport projects, and meaningful reductions can be achieved using materials and practices that are already available in the market,” said Ross Guppy, Austroads Transport Infrastructure Program Manager.
The guidance sets out a staged roadmap for action, recognising that agencies and suppliers operate in different contexts and face varying regional conditions. It recommends optimising existing materials and technologies in the short term, supporting the development of alternative supplementary cementitious materials over the medium term, and preparing for very low or zero carbon concrete technologies as they become commercially viable.
A key recommendation is the formation of a Low Carbon Concrete Implementation Taskforce under the leadership of a National Body to coordinate research, update standards, support trials and share data across jurisdictions. This coordinated approach is intended to build confidence, reduce duplication and support more consistent adoption across the transport sector.
“The transition to low carbon concrete is not just about new materials,” Ross said. “It is about how infrastructure is specified, procured and delivered. By aligning standards, sharing evidence and supporting innovation, agencies can reduce carbon while continuing to deliver safe and durable infrastructure.”
The guidance also outlines how carbon reduction can be embedded into everyday project delivery, including setting embodied carbon targets, expanding the use of supplementary cementitious materials, moving towards performance-based specifications, supporting pilot projects, and improving the use of Environmental Product Declarations to strengthen transparency and decision making.
By applying the guidance, agencies can achieve near term emissions reductions, support industry investment in sustainable materials, and contribute to a more coordinated transition to lower carbon transport infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand.
Download Carbon Reduction and the Use of Low Carbon Concrete
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