60. Concrete4Change

Sustainability Award Winner

Whether in its business operations or its business model, the winning startup will be a sustainability leader that prioritises the health of the planet as part of its company mission.

Startups 100: Sustainability Awards

Founders: Sid Pourfalah, Dr Michael Wise, and Dalraj Nijjar
Founded: 2021
Website: concrete4change.com

The construction and building sector is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Largely, this is due to the concrete industry, which is responsible for 8% of global emissions. That’s an astonishingly high figure that must be reduced if the UK is to hit its target of becoming Net Zero by 2050. 

It’s a difficult task, but Concrete4Change is here to make things a lot simpler. The East Midlands-based startup works by capturing CO² emitted in cement production and adding it to the concrete mix. 

By literally absorbing carbon emissions into the concrete itself, the material becomes stronger, cheaper, and greener – a three-way win that brings huge value to construction firms.

The construction and building sector is one of the biggest contributors to climate change.

Even when the building is destroyed, the CO² won’t be released. In this way, C4C aims to remove two billion tonnes of CO² by 2040 – roughly equal to five years of UK greenhouse gas emissions.

The company’s founders say they’ve found a niche in the industry. “There is a fundamental lack of innovation, as cement and concrete is one of the hardest-to-abate and very conservative in embracing new solutions. Concrete4Change is aiming to change that, turning an emission problem into an emission solution.”

Since being founded in 2021, C4C’s technique has been trialled by Hanson, the market leader for ready-mix concrete production in the UK and European markets.

There is a fundamental lack of innovation in the industry. Concrete4Change is aiming to change that, turning an emission problem into an emission solution.

This has allowed it to raise pre-seed from four investors, collectively providing extensive industry contacts and venture building expertise. The startup took the Most Innovative Net-Zero Project Award at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, better known as COP26.

Recognition from one of the most prestigious organisations in the world is certainly not something we’ll be arguing with. The clue is in the name; Concrete4Change is a disruptive startup that’s shaping the future of the construction industry.