Isometric has released the draft Low Carbon Cement Protocol for a 30-day public consultation. The protocol sets out requirements under which Environmental Attribute Certificates (EACs) can be issued for low-carbon clinker, cement, and concrete. It is the first protocol that EACs for low-carbon cement can be issued against.
Low-carbon cement and EACs
Cement production accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions. Since 2015, the sector’s total emissions have increased, while the emissions intensity per tonne of cement has remained unchanged.
Most emissions from cement production come from clinker, the binding agent. To make clinker, limestone is heated in a kiln to around 1,450°C, causing calcination, in which the limestone breaks down into calcium oxide, releasing carbon dioxide. Calcination accounts for 60% of the emissions from clinker, while the remainder comes from fossil fuels used to heat the kilns.
A range of solutions can reduce these emissions, including capturing carbon dioxide at the kiln and permanently storing it; replacing the clinker with alternative binders that do not require calcination; and electrifying the kiln and powering it with renewable energy.
These technologies need investment and reliable revenue to scale. But the supply of low-carbon cement is rarely located near demand, and transporting it vast distances is neither practical nor efficient. EACs separate the environmental claim of a tonne of low-carbon cement from the physical product. This enables organizations anywhere in the world to purchase certificates and then claim against their climate goals, providing the investment and revenue needed to decarbonize one of the world’s hardest-to-abate industries.
The protocol
The protocol is technology-agnostic, meaning any approach for decarbonizing cement production that meets the core requirements can qualify. Certificates can be issued for one tonne of low-carbon clinker, one tonne of low-carbon cement, or one cubic meter of low-carbon concrete.
For an EAC to be issued, the clinker, cement, or concrete must have a verified Environmental Product Declaration and a carbon intensity at or below Band C of the Global Cement and Concrete Association’s Low Carbon Ratings. This threshold will tighten to Band B from 2030, supporting the continued decarbonization of the sector.
The protocol requires each project to publish a catalytic impact narrative, setting out how it advances decarbonization across the cement sector. This gives buyers a clear view of the wider impact of the projects they choose to support.
The certificates
The protocol has been designed to meet the integrity criteria set out in Version 2.0 of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Corporate Net-Zero Standard, which enables the more than 11,500 companies with SBTi-validated targets to work toward those targets with EACs for low-carbon materials.
Each Isometric certificate will contain the information required by major reporting frameworks, such as the AIM Platform Standard and TCAT's Mitigation Action Accounting and Reporting Guidance, providing buyers with flexibility.
EACs for low-carbon cement will be issued with Certify, Isometric’s AI-powered certification platform, and published publicly on the Registry, alongside the data and evidence behind them.
Contribute to the consultation
This protocol was developed in line with the Isometric Standard by Isometric's in-house Science Team, with review from the independent Science Network of more than 400 academic experts. Development was informed by input from across the industry, including cement and concrete producers, project developers, and buyers.
Isometric welcomes comments during the 30-day public consultation period ending on September 21, 2026. An update to the Isometric Standard, which enables the certification and issuance of EACs, is in public consultation until the same date.
