Alternative Binders: Materials that can replace traditional cement, such as fly ash or ground granulated blast furnace slag. These alternatives help lower CO₂ emissions and are often by-products of other industries.

Alternative Cement Chemistries: Innovative chemical compositions used in place of traditional Portland cement. These new formulas reduce the CO₂ produced during manufacturing and often involve materials that react differently than traditional cement.

Alternative Fuels: Non-traditional energy sources like waste materials, used tires, or biomass (plants and organic waste) to power cement kilns. These fuels can help reduce the industry's reliance on fossil fuels and lower its carbon footprint.

Blast Furnace Slag: A by-product of iron production in a blast furnace. When ground into a fine powder, it can be mixed with cement to reduce the need for clinker, lowering CO₂ emissions in concrete production.

Blended Cement: Cement that includes a mix of traditional clinker and other materials like fly ash, slag, or limestone. This blend reduces the amount of clinker needed, which in turn lowers CO₂ emissions.

Calcination: A process in cement production where limestone (calcium carbonate) is heated to high temperatures to produce lime (calcium oxide). This step releases CO₂ and is a major source of emissions in cement manufacturing.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): A technology used to trap CO₂ emissions produced during cement manufacturing. The captured CO₂ is then stored underground or used in other applications, preventing it from entering the atmosphere.

Carbon Upcycling: The process of using captured CO₂ to create new, useful materials. In the context of concrete, this often means incorporating CO₂ into the concrete itself, where it can improve strength and durability.

Carbonation: A chemical reaction where CO₂ in the air reacts with the minerals in concrete, forming solid carbonates. This process naturally occurs over time and can help lock CO₂ away in the concrete structure.

Carbonation Curing: A method of curing concrete by exposing it to CO₂ gas. This process accelerates the carbonation reaction, helping to lock CO₂ into the concrete more quickly and improving its strength.

Carbon-Negative Concrete: Concrete that absorbs more CO₂ during its production and use than is emitted. This is achieved through innovative materials and processes that capture CO₂, resulting in a net negative carbon footprint.

Carbon-Neutral Concrete: Concrete designed to have a net-zero carbon footprint. This balance is achieved by capturing or offsetting all CO₂ emissions produced during its life cycle, from production to demolition.

Cement Kiln: A large, high-temperature furnace used in cement production to heat limestone and other materials. This process forms clinker, the main ingredient in cement, and is a significant source of CO₂ emissions.

Cement Plant Efficiency: Measures and technologies that improve how energy is used in cement plants. Improving efficiency reduces the amount of energy needed, which in turn lowers CO₂ emissions.

Cementitious Material: Materials that have properties similar to cement, meaning they can bind other materials together when mixed with water. Examples include fly ash, slag, and silica fume, which can replace a portion of cement in concrete.

Circular Economy in Concrete: An approach to concrete production and use that focuses on minimizing waste, reusing materials, and recycling to create a more sustainable industry. It aims to reduce the overall environmental impact of concrete.

Clinker: A crucial material in cement production, formed by heating limestone and clay at high temperatures. It consists of calcium silicates and is ground to make cement. Clinker production is a major CO₂ source due to the calcination process that releases carbon dioxide.

Combustion Emissions: In cement manufacture, the emissions originating from burning fossil fuels to heat the kiln, which account for approximately 40% of total CO₂ emissions. The remaining 60% are process emissions from chemical reactions which take place in the calcination of limestone.

Electrification of Cement Kilns: The process of converting cement kilns to use electricity instead of fossil fuels. When powered by renewable energy, this can significantly reduce the carbon emissions from cement production.

Energy Efficiency: Using less energy to achieve the same output in cement production. Improving energy efficiency can reduce CO₂ emissions and lower costs, contributing to more sustainable practices.

Fly Ash: A by-product of coal combustion in power plants. Fly ash can be used as a partial replacement for cement in concrete, reducing the need for clinker and lowering CO₂ emissions.

Geopolymer Cement: A type of cement made from industrial by-products like fly ash or slag, activated by alkaline solutions. Geopolymer cement has a much lower carbon footprint than traditional Portland cement.

Green Cement: A term used to describe cement that is produced with methods and materials that reduce CO₂ emissions. This can include using alternative binders, fuels, and energy sources.

Green Concrete: Environmentally friendly concrete produced using methods and materials that reduce its carbon footprint, such as incorporating recycled materials, alternative binders, and reducing cement content. It aims to lower CO₂ emissions and promote sustainability

Hard to abate sector: Industries, like cement production, that are difficult to decarbonize due to the nature of their processes. These sectors require innovative technologies and approaches to reduce their carbon emissions.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): A method used to evaluate the environmental impacts of a product throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal. LCA helps in understanding the total carbon footprint of cement and concrete.

Limestone: A sedimentary rock that is the primary raw material in cement production. Heating limestone in a kiln releases CO₂, making it a significant source of emissions in the cement industry.

Low-Carbon Cement: Cement that is produced with lower CO₂ emissions compared to traditional Portland cement. This can be achieved through the use of alternative materials, fuels, and processes.

Portland Limestone Cement (PLC): A type of cement that incorporates ground limestone into the mixture. PLC reduces the clinker content, thereby lowering the CO₂ emissions associated with cement production.

Post-Combustion Carbon Capture: A technology that captures CO₂ emissions from the flue gases of cement kilns after combustion. The captured CO₂ can be stored or used in other applications, helping to reduce overall emissions.

Pozzolan: A material that, when mixed with lime, reacts to form a cementitious compound. Natural pozzolans, like volcanic ash, and industrial by-products, like fly ash, can reduce the need for clinker in cement.

Pre-Combustion Capture: A technology that captures CO₂ before the combustion process in cement production. This involves converting fossil fuels into a gas mixture, capturing CO₂ before it is released.

Process Emissions: CO₂ emissions that are inherent to the chemical processes used in cement production, such as the calcination of limestone. Reducing process emissions is a significant challenge in decarbonizing the cement industry.

Recarbonation: The process by which CO₂ is reabsorbed into concrete over time, forming carbonates. This natural process helps to offset some of the CO₂ emissions from cement production.

Recycling of Concrete: The process of reclaiming and reusing concrete materials from demolished structures. Recycling concrete reduces the need for new raw materials and lowers the carbon footprint of construction projects.

Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs): Materials added to cement to improve its properties and reduce the amount of clinker required. SCMs, such as fly ash, slag, and silica fume, help lower CO₂ emissions in concrete production.