Revision to VM0043: Methodology for CO2 Utilization in Concrete Production, v1.1

VM0043 v1.1 applies to project activities that use waste CO₂ as a feedstock in the production of concrete. Such project activities reduce greenhouse gas emissions in two ways:

1. Project activities incorporate waste CO₂ into concrete, which lowers emissions by capturing gas that would have otherwise been emitted to the atmosphere, and permanently embedding it in concrete.
2. Project activities lower the amount of cement required in concrete production compared to traditional production processes, further reducing emissions because cement production is highly energy and carbon-intensive.

This methodology is applicable globally and utilizes a positive list for determining additionality.

The current scope of the proposed revision includes:

1. Resolution of the issues raised by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) multistakeholder working groups (MSWGs) related to such project types, namely:
   • Inclusion of natural carbonation in the ERR calculations, i.e., CO₂ that would have sequestered naturally in the baseline and project scenarios without project intervention
   • Introduction of requirements to conduct project-based calculations, where applicable, and remove dependence on static (default) numbers like the default mineralization efficiency of 60%.
2. Inclusion of an alternative to the (default) discount factor for upstream displacement. CarbonCure has engaged Deloitte (external) in completing the assessment to inform an alternative approach or factor.
3. Seeking alignment with the VM0049 Carbon Capture and Storage capture modules, including:
   • Replacing the default emission intensity of liquid CO₂ processing (Appendix-V)
   • Restricting the eligibility of ongoing capture facilities to align with VMD0059 CO₂ Capture from Bioenergy
4. Including a procedure for quantifying the parameter Q_cement,i,b,y for interventions that produce concrete without any Portland cement in the project scenario
5. Providing information/guidance on the acceptable sources of data to determine the quantity of Portland cement in each mix design in the baseline, i.e., the parameter _{Qcement,b,i,test n.} This is mainly because third-party compressive strength testing may not always include cement quantities as part of the testing report
6. Making editorial improvements and aligning with the current methodology template/requirements.

• The proposed revisions were originally submitted by CarbonCure Technologies Inc. (external) and CarbonBuilt (external).
• On December 19, 2024, Verra put the development of this revision on hold due to limited available resources.
• Verra plans to resume development of this revision in November 2025 under the updated Methodology and Development Review Process, v5.0 (PDF).
• Verra will lead the development process for this revision in collaboration with CarbonCure Technologies Inc. (external). CarbonCure is kindly supporting the development and providing Verra with funds to cover associated costs. We are proud to expand climate action with the support of this leading organization!
• Stakeholders interested in collaborating during methodology development or developing projects that this methodology might enable are encouraged to contact methodologies@verra.org. Please include the Methodology Development ID# CN0128 in the subject line.