As global warming begins to more strongly influence policy and economic decisions, attention is turning to the construction industry and its massive, 3 trillion kg/annually cement addiction.

The cement industry is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, surpassed only by fossil fuel energy sources. Five to six percent of all carbon emissions come from cement production, which can release up to 9kg of CO2 for every 10kg of cement produced.

A team at George Washington University in Ashburn, Virginia, however, have developed a new system of cement production, dubbed STEP, that creates no carbon byproducts, and could be significantly cheaper than existing modes of production.