Mr. Pat Kirwan:

We need to push more innovation. We know there are environmental benefits to using low-carbon or GGBS concrete. On the flip side, it takes longer to cure. There are striking issues in terms of form work, so if we move that into a manufacturing facility for pre-cast concrete, it will potentially take longer for those pre-cast concrete panels to come out. There is a barrier to a certain degree to using low-carbon concrete and getting it out faster. We need to push innovation. How do we take that and push it on? As a few of the witnesses will be aware, carbon cured concrete is currently in use in the industry. The cement content is reduced and we blow carbon dioxide in. That creates a chemical reaction and it produces stronger concrete. As a result we have a lower embodied carbon concrete. That is innovation happening to solve carbon issues in concrete. We need to have more innovation, to look to other jurisdictions to see where we need to go as regards carbon and then to link it all together to understand the consequences of pushing particular low-carbon solutions. We absolutely need to look for low-carbon solutions, but we must think ahead and look at the consequences.