Bridging the gap: aligning research, industry, and EU regulations to accelerate implementation of alkali-activated binder based concretes under the EU green deal

The European Union’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, supported by the European Green Deal and Construction Product Regulation (CPR), is leading to significant changes in the construction sector. This study examines the impact and challenges of these regulations on alkali-activated binder (AAB)-based concretes, highlighting misalignments between research, industry practices, and regulatory requirements. While AABs are identified as innovative low-carbon alternatives to Portland cement, their adoption is hindered by non-standardized Life Cycle Assessment methods, inconsistent environmental data, and limited industry integration. The findings reveal that current environmental data fail to meet upcoming CPR requirements, emphasizing the need for harmonized methodologies and standardized reporting. This study underscores the importance of aligning researchers, industry, and policymakers by introducing concrete measures to bridge these gaps, reduce compliance costs, and improve data transparency. Such efforts are critical to accelerating AAB adoption and ensuring the construction sector transitions to carbon neutrality while maintaining economic competitiveness. • Analyzes EU Green Deal's impact on sustainable construction materials. • Identifies gaps between research, industry, and regulations for AAB concretes. • Proposes harmonized methods for sustainability assessment of AAB concretes. • Highlights AAB concretes as a low-carbon alternative to Portland cement. • Evaluates costs of mandatory AVS-3+ validation under new EU regulations.