The Mineral Products Association has warmly welcomed the statement by the new BEIS Minister, Jane Hunt on material neutrality. Asked in a written question to promote sustainable building materials, her reply stated:

“The Government recognises that the use of environmentally sustainable building materials has an important role to play in meeting our net zero target. The Government also recognises that sustainability can be achieved in different ways. We are focused on promoting the use of low-carbon products and processes, and reducing waste, rather than specific material types.”

Claire Ackerman, Executive Director for Concrete at MPA and Director of The Concrete Centre said:

“The issue in a climate emergency is not to divide the world into binary ‘good’ and ‘bad’ materials. Instead, there must be a far more honest, informed and holistic dialogue, so that the entire lifecycle and sustainability credentials of any product are better considered in the context of buildings which must perform for generations. This Ministerial recognition of material neutrality is a real step forward in the transition to net zero.”

ENDS

The Written Question and answer can be found at this link: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-07-07/32462

About the Mineral Products Association:
The Mineral Products Association (MPA) is the trade association for the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and silica sand industries. With the merger of British Precast, and affiliation of CONSTRUCT, the UK Quality Ash Association (UKQAA), the Cement Admixtures Association (CAA), the British Association of Reinforcement (BAR), Eurobitume, MPA Northern Ireland, MPA Scotland and the British Calcium Carbonate Federation, it has a growing membership of 520 companies and is the sectoral voice for mineral products. MPA membership is made up of the vast majority of independent SME quarrying companies throughout the UK, as well as the 9 major international and global companies. It covers 100% of UK cement and lime production, 90% of GB aggregates production, 95% of asphalt and over 70% of ready-mixed concrete and precast concrete production. In 2018, the industry supplied £16 billion worth of materials and services to the Economy. It is also the largest supplier to the construction industry, which had annual output valued at £172 billion in 2018. Industry production represents the largest materials flow in the UK economy and is also one of the largest manufacturing sectors.

Media contact:
Elizabeth Clements, elizabeth.clements@mineralproducts.org