Tiny algae could help fix concrete's dirty little climate secret – 4 innovative ways to clean up this notoriously hard to decarbonize industry

Concrete is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than aviation. Jung Getty via Getty Images

Humans produce more concrete than any other material on the planet. It is the literal foundation of modern civilization – and for good reason.

Concrete is strong, durable, affordable and available to almost every community on the planet. However, the global concrete industry has a dirty little secret – it alone is responsible for more than 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions – more than three times the emissions associated with aviation. Those emissions doubled in the past two decades as Asian cities grew, and demand is continuing to expand at an unprecedented rate.