Low-Carbon Concrete: A Systematized Review of Materials, Technologies, and Pathways to Decarbonization

The production of concrete is responsible for 8%–10% of the world's anthropogenic CO2 emissions, due to the clinker-intensive nature of cement manufacturing. As a result, decarbonizing the cement and concrete industry is essential to meet global climate goals. Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), limestone calcined clay cement (LC3), geopolymer and alkali-activated systems, recycled aggregate concrete, and carbon capture and utilization (CCU)-based concrete are among the emerging low-carbon concrete technologies that are methodically assessed in this research. Comparative analysis indicates that these technologies can reduce life cycle CO2 emissions by approximately 15%–80%, depending on material selection, curing conditions, and system boundaries. SCM-based systems and LC3 currently represent the most scalable and cost-effective solutions due to their compatibility with existing industrial infrastructure, while geopolymer concrete offers the highest theoretical emission reduction potential but faces challenges related to standardization and large-scale implementation. CCU-based systems provide additional sequestration opportunities, although their net climate benefit depends strongly on energy inputs and CO2 supply chains. This systematized review further examines durability performance, life cycle assessment (LCA), economic feasibility, regulatory barriers, and future integration of digital tools such as artificial intelligence for mix optimization. The findings highlight that no single technology provides a universal solution; instead, hybrid and region-specific deployment strategies are necessary for practical decarbonization of the global cement and concrete industry. This article is presented as a structured narrative review incorporating systematic literature screening and comparative synthesis methodologies. This study is presented as a systematized review integrating comparative techno-environmental synthesis, literature-based scoring, and decision-oriented evaluation of low-carbon concrete technologies.