Sustainable materials: is there a concrete solution?

The construction industry is responsible for over a tenth of the world’s man-made carbon emissions, with concrete being the biggest culprit. How can we continue to build, without it costing the earth?

Film supported by ‪@Infosys‬

00:00 - The trouble with rubble
00:55 - Construction is driving climate change
02:54 - The second most consumed resource on the planet: concrete
03:44 - Why concrete is so bad for the environment
04:40 - Cement alternatives
07:40 - Hemp for house construction
09:05 -Saving carbon by building with wood

View all of The Economist’s climate change coverage: https://econ.st/3b1RwU2

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Listen to our climate podcast, “To a Lesser Degree”: https://econ.st/3b1RuLU

How cement may yet help slow global warming: https://econ.st/36srMB1

Efforts to make buildings greener are not working: https://econ.st/34NxdtU

Green buildings: can mushrooms help? https://econ.st/3CPguTL

How important is personal action to combating climate change? Listen here: https://econ.st/3Bh9z3r

Building sustainable cities with wooden skyscrapers: https://econ.st/3Ihakgb

The rise of 3D-printed houses: https://econ.st/34Pvi8l

The EU’s proposed carbon tariff gets a mixed reaction from industry: https://econ.st/36vNQeo

Efficiency eludes the construction industry: https://econ.st/36q6gwK