Cement production accounts for around 8 per cent of global CO₂ emissions, a huge lever for climate protection. This is precisely where Empa comes in. With CO₂-storing concrete, to which specially developed carbon pellets made from biochar are added. These replace part of the conventional aggregate. The trick is that the pellets absorb CO₂ and can act as a permanent carbon sink without negatively affecting the building material properties. This makes the concrete not only climate-neutral, but also potentially CO₂-negative, while remaining suitable for practical use in building and infrastructure construction.
Outstanding engineering achievement with prospects
Empa was honoured with the Building Award in the “Research, Development, Start-ups” category for this innovation at the end of June 2025. The most important prize for civil engineering in Switzerland. The award ceremony at the KKL Lucerne honoured outstanding projects that bring science and practice together. Empa impressed the jury with a solution that has the potential to significantly improve the carbon footprint of entire construction projects with a view to industrial feasibility.
Pilot project already planned
The Empa team led by Pietro Lura and Mateusz Wyrzykowski is already working with partners to further develop the CO₂-negative pellets for market use. Initial applications are in preparation, including in the NEST unit “Beyond Zero”, a module of the experimental research building of Empa and Eawag. There, CO₂-reduced and CO₂-negative building materials are tested under real conditions, which further emphasises the practical relevance of the research.
CO₂ as a raw material of the future
Concrete innovation is part of a broader strategy. With the “Mining the Atmosphere” research initiative, Empa is pursuing a visionary goal of transforming the economy towards a CO₂-based material cycle. The concept is to capture CO₂ directly from the atmosphere and convert it into chemical raw materials such as methane or methanol. These in turn replace fossil raw materials in the production of building materials or energy sources. At the end of their life cycle, the products are to be bound in special storage sites, a long-term storage facility for carbon.
Foresight for construction, energy and the economy
The approach extends far beyond the construction industry. In future, synthetic methane could be used to overcome seasonal energy imbalances and replace CO₂-intensive materials. The prerequisite is a close interlinking of materials research, process development and economic scalability. In addition to technological progress, Empa is therefore also calling for regulatory framework conditions that make CO₂ capture economically attractive.
Innovative strength as a lever for transformation
Empa’s award marks more than just a scientific success. It symbolises change in the construction industry. CO₂-storing materials are no longer a distant vision, but concrete tools for the construction turnaround. This could transform the industry from a problem creator to part of the solution and help buildings to actively stabilise the climate in the future.
