Background: Conventional construction materials, particularly Portland cement concrete, are associated with substantial energy consumption, resource depletion, and greenhouse-gas emissions, with cement manufacturing alone responsible for a significant share of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide output.
Objective: This article reviews and analytically evaluates innovations in green concrete and low-carbon building practices, focusing on supplementary cementitious materials, recycled aggregates, geopolymer binders, and life-cycle-based carbon reduction strategies.
Methods: A comparative materials framework was developed using ordinary Portland cement, fly ash, ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), silica fume, recycled aggregate, and geopolymer binder. Mechanical, durability, environmental, and economic performance indicators were compared using literature-informed and illustrative simulated data.
Results: Partial cement replacement and geopolymer activation reduced embodied carbon substantially while maintaining acceptable mechanical performance within defined replacement thresholds; recycled aggregate incorporation showed measurable but manageable trade-offs in durability.
Conclusion: Green concrete formulations offer a technically viable and environmentally favorable alternative to conventional concrete, though standardization, durability validation, and economic scaling remain necessary for widespread adoption.