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Thu March 28 2024

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Berkeley opts for 'carbon neutral' concrete in Watford

22 Apr 22 House-builder Berkeley Group has used “carbon neutral" concrete for the foundations of its Eight Gardens housing development in Watford.

Berkeley paid extra to have the carbon in its concrete offset by overseas reforestation and other schemes. (Image from Circular Ecology)
Berkeley paid extra to have the carbon in its concrete offset by overseas reforestation and other schemes. (Image from Circular Ecology)

Berkeley is the first customer to pay extra for London Concrete’s offsetting service to claim carbon neutrality.

Aggregate Industries subsidiary London Concrete supplied more than 4,000 m3 of EcoPact Prime concrete for the piling works, carried out by Rock & Alluvium.

The sustainability credentials of the Eight Gardens was a key factor in it getting planning permission. Berkeley selected EcoPact Prime for its green credentials, which a CO2 reduction of up to 70% thanks to its higher mix of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) compared to standard CEM I concrete.

It is not actually carbon neutral but Berkeley paid extra to say that it is.  

EcoPact Prime turns into EcoPact Zero when the client pays to “offset” the residual carbon content. The Eight Gardens was London Concrete’s first EcoPact Zero project through offsetting. 

Aggregate Industries' offsetting supplier is a company called Circular Ecology, which supports tree planting in Panama, biodigesters in Cambodia and water boreholes in Uganda. These activities, and others, enable its clients to claim carbon neutrality.

London Concrete managing director Daniel King said: “Our EcoPact product range is engineered to reduce CO2 by up to 70%, and with the added option to upgrade to a fully neutral product through offsetting the residual CO2, it was the ideal solution for Berkeley and its ‘The Eight Gardens’ development. Berkeley has a target of 40% embodied carbon reduction by 2030 as part of its ‘Our Vision 2030’ strategy, so EcoPact Zero goes a long way in supporting Berkeley with its sustainability goals.”

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