Why builders will soon ask you for cement-free blocks

New environmental rules in France are tightening carbon limits on new buildings, making low-carbon alternatives increasingly attractive. To capture this commercial opportunity, a major French building merchant is setting up production of its own cement-free concrete blocks. This French precedent gives merchants elsewhere a preview of the products their own customers may soon start asking for.

The regulatory pressure on French construction is intensifying. Under France’s RE2020 environmental regulation, first published in 2020, the state has mandated a phased reduction in carbon emissions from both operational energy and construction materials [6]. The policy applies first to individual homes and collective housing [6]. In its second phase, the regulation applies to offices and primary and secondary school buildings, before finally covering specific tertiary buildings, including hotels, shops, and gyms [6].

According to BloombergNEF’s Net Zero Pathfinders, the regulation targets a minimum 30% reduction in carbon emissions from operational energy and construction materials used in new public and private buildings by 2031, compared to 2013 levels [4]. The material production and construction-related emissions threshold for single-family homes started at 640 kilograms of CO2 per square meter in 2022 and drops to 415 kilograms of CO2 per square meter by 2031 [4]. For new apartment buildings, the limit drops gradually from 740 kilograms of CO2 per square meter in 2022 to 490 kilograms of CO2 per square meter by 2031 [4].

These thresholds are designed to build pressure gradually through stepped reductions out to 2031 [4]. Currently, the pressure is starting to build. According to a cement industry union study cited by Net Zero Pathfinders, the average emissions footprint of a concrete-based apartment building in France sits around 745 kilograms of CO2 per square meter [4]. This average footprint is only slightly above the initial 740 kilograms of CO2 per square meter limit established in 2022 [4]. While this minor excess is not yet forcing immediate widespread changes, the upcoming regulatory steps mean builders must increasingly look for lower-carbon alternatives to meet the tightening caps. For merchants in France, this represents a clear commercial opportunity to supply compliant materials as the thresholds drop.

To secure a reliable supply of compliant materials, POINT.P, a prominent French building-materials brand owned by Saint-Gobain, is moving beyond the traditional merchant model by investing in its own production capacity [1][2]. POINT.P is establishing France’s first cement-free concrete block production line at its plant in Hauts-de-France [1][2].

This industrial deployment represents the evolution of a pilot project that has been ongoing in Quebec since 2023 [1]. The partnership follows POINT.P signing a cooperation agreement with Canadian startup CarbiCrete in 2024 [3]. In June 2025, the companies announced that the production line in Hauts-de-France would begin manufacturing in the first quarter of 2026 [1][2]. As of early August 2026, neither company has published an update confirming the start of production.

The facility will utilize CarbiCrete’s patented technology, which replaces traditional cement with steel slag, a steel-making by-product, and permanently stores captured carbon dioxide by mineralizing it into the concrete [2][3]. According to company projections, the new production line is planned to produce 20,000 tonnes of cement-free concrete blocks in its first year, with capacity set to double to 40,000 tonnes in its second year, by 2027 [1][3]. By manufacturing these blocks locally, the merchant secures a scalable, proprietary supply of alternative structural materials.

While CarbiCrete’s products have previously only been available in Canada and the northeastern United States [2], the commercialization of cement-free stock is already an active reality in the United Kingdom, where CCP Building Products Ltd supplies “Greenbloc Ultra” dense concrete blocks to builders’ merchants and the trade throughout north Wales and the north-west of England [5].

This commercial precedent provides valuable data for procurement directors. CCP claims that its Greenbloc Ultra blocks, which are powered by the cement alternative Cemfree, achieve up to an 80% lower embodied carbon (eCO2) compared to a standard dense concrete block manufactured with 100% Ordinary Portland Cement [5]. Furthermore, CCP claims these blocks are manufactured to the BS EN 771 standard and have a bulk dry material density of 1850 to 2000 kilograms per cubic meter [5].

For merchants, these technical specifications are critical. A bulk dry density of 1850 to 2000 kilograms per cubic meter suggests these alternative blocks can match the physical handling and structural weight of traditional dense concrete. This would allow contractors to swap traditional blocks for cement-free alternatives without redesigning their transport logistics or structural calculations. Procurement directors must verify these manufacturer claims against independent certifications to ensure compliance with local building codes.

The rise of cement-free concrete blocks presents both a commercial risk and a significant market opportunity for builders’ merchants in these regions. As developers face stricter carbon limits, the demand for low-carbon structural materials will grow. Merchants who secure early supply agreements or invest in localized production will be positioned to capture this high-margin trade.

However, the transition requires careful management. Procurement directors must evaluate their current supplier networks and demand transparent carbon data. Relying on vague environmental claims is no longer viable when contractors face strict regulatory thresholds, such as the RE2020 limits in France [4][6]. Every low-carbon product on the merchant’s yard must be backed by verifiable data to prove its compliance to inspectors and developers.

Additionally, merchants must educate their sales teams. Trade customers are often conservative and hesitant to adopt new materials. Sales staff must be equipped to explain the technical equivalence of cement-free blocks, such as their density and structural performance, while highlighting the carbon savings that help contractors win bids.

[1] prnewswire.com — https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pointp-and-carbicrete-announce-the-2026-launch-of-frances-first-cement-free-concrete-block-production-line-302482359.html [2] carbicrete.com — https://carbicrete.com/carbicrete-expands-into-europe-with-point-p-partnership/ [3] saint-gobain.com — https://www.saint-gobain.com/en/magazine/6-startups-revolutionizing-construction [4] netzeropathfinders.com — https://www.netzeropathfinders.com/best-practices/emissions-thresholds-on-buildings-materials-france [5] ccp.ltd — https://ccp.ltd/blocks/greenbloc/ [6] ecologie.gouv.fr — https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/politiques-publiques/reglementation-environnementale-re2020