Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Through Innovative Cementitious Construction Materials: Strategic Relevance in the Context of the 2026 Global Energy Crisis

The ongoing energy crisis triggered by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz is reshaping the economics of the global construction sector. Rising energy costs and supply chain disruptions are increasing production costs for conventional building materials such as cement, steel, and plastics, all of which are highly energy-intensive. This context intensifies the strategic relevance of materials capable of sequestering carbon over their life cycle, which offer the dual benefit of reduced energy consumption in manufacture and long-term climate benefit. Against this backdrop, this paper provides an updated overview of the accelerating global warming crisis, incorporating the most recent scientific evidence, and presents a comprehensive account of distinct classes of cementitious construction materials with CO₂ sequestration capacity. This paper also addresses the principal barriers to large-scale deployment and explores the landmark EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive underscores the persistent lack of robust global regulations requiring real estate investors to disclose embodied carbon emissions.