Carbon Direct and Microsoft have unveiled a comprehensive guide outlining high-quality environmental attribute certificates (EACs) for the concrete and steel industries.
This criteria aims to address greenhouse gas emissions from scope 3 activities, providing a verifiable, additional, and catalytic approach to carbon management.
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The newly established quality criteria is not only instrumental for Microsoft’s goal to become carbon negative by 2030 but is also vital for other organisations looking to reduce the embodied carbon in their supply chains.
The guide is a culmination of insights from industry experts, suppliers, and sustainability organisations.
Since 2021, Carbon Direct and Microsoft have reportedly been at the forefront of developing science-based guidance for carbon dioxide removal.
This latest move is a significant milestone in their collaborative efforts to stimulate the market for decarbonisation pathways, particularly within the concrete and steel sectors, which are together responsible for approximately 13% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
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By GlobalDataMicrosoft’s comprehensive strategy to mitigate the environmental impact of concrete and steel includes reducing demand through innovative design, procuring low-carbon alternatives, and actively working to decarbonise its supply chains.
The criteria developed by Microsoft and Carbon Direct stipulates that EACs should only be used when sustainable materials cannot be directly procured in sufficient quantities.
The guidance also requires a minimum low-carbon concrete (or cement) rating of ‘D’ from the Global Cement and Concrete Association or a Progress Level 2 rating by ResponsibleSteel.
The standards ensure projects exceed efficiency savings, regulatory requirements, and common practices.
The guide provides detailed recommendations for EAC implementation in the industries, supporting the delivery of tangible climate impact.
The guidance will be subject to regular review and updates to reflect technological, data, and market advancements.
Microsoft fuel and materials decarbonisation lead Julia Fidler said: “EACs have the potential to address a number of the most critical challenges to scaling deep decarbonisation solutions, not least by providing financial certainty.
“By setting a high bar for EACs, we’re ensuring that our investments drive real, additional, and scalable emissions reductions as we invite the industry to join us in shaping a credible, high-impact market for low-carbon building materials.”
Carbon Direct decarbonisation science and European advisory director Meera Atreya said: “To decarbonise the world’s largest supply chains, we need solutions that are both ambitious and credible.
“These first-of-their-kind criteria set a quality bar for environmental attribute certificates so that every EAC transaction can drive real, additional, and verifiable emissions reductions in concrete and steel.”
