structuring demand for lower-carbon materials an initial assessment of book and claim for the steel and concrete sectorsreport / july 2024 rmi.org / 2structuring demand for lower-carbon materialsauthorsclaire dougherty julia fidler, microsoftchathu gamage laura hutchinsonmaeve mastersonchandler randol katie ross, microsoftben skinner lachlan wrightauthors listed alphabetically. all authors from rmi unless otherwise noted. contactslaura hutchinson, lhutchinson@rmi.orgchathu gamage, cgamage@rmi.orgj9九游会登录入口首页新版 copyrights and citation julia fidler, katie ross, laura hutchinson, claire dougherty, chandler randol, maeve masterson, lachlan wright, ben skinner, chathu gamage, leveraging book and claim mechanisms to drive lower-carbon materials markets: an initial assessment of the steel and concrete sectors, rmi, 2024, https://rmi.org/insight/an-initial-assessment-of-book-and-claim-for-the-steel-and-concrete-sectors/. rmi values collaboration and aims to accelerate the energy transition through sharing knowledge and insights. we therefore allow interested parties to reference, share, and cite our work through the creative commons cc by-sa 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.all images used are from istock.com unless otherwise noted.authors and acknowledgments rmi.org / 3structuring demand for lower-carbon materialsabout rmirmi is an independent nonprofit, founded in 1982 as rocky mountain institute, that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5°c future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. we work in the world’s most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and ngos to identify and scale energy system interventions that will cut climate pollution at least 50 percent by 2030. rmi has offices in basalt and boulder, colorado; new york city; oakland, california; washington, d.c.; abuja, nigeria; and beijing. rmi.org / 4structuring demand for lower-carbon materialscontentsintroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5why decarbonize steel and concrete? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7why are organizations interested in investing in lower-carbon materials?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8how can organizations decarbonize their supply chains beyond directly procuring? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10examples from other markets: renewable electricity and sustainable aviation fuel. . . . . . . . . . . .12how does book and claim catalyze decarbonization? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12how is a book and claim certificate different from a carbon credit? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14is book and claim a logical and catalytic mechanism for decarbonizing steel and concrete?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16what infrastructure is needed to enable a robust book and claim approach? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19checking it: certification schemes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19defining it: standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20tracking it: registries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21counting it: reporting guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21buying it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22building the infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23microsoft’s pilot process: lessons learned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24next steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27appendix: procurement guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28early research and discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28contract review and technical deep dive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 rmi.org / 5structuring deman