U.S. Low-Carbon Cement Protocol

The U.S. Low-Carbon Cement Protocol provides guidance on how to quantify, monitor, report, and verify emission reductions associated with the use of supplementary or alternative cementitious materials instead of portland cement. 

Current Protocol Version(s) Available for Project Submittal Adoption Date Notes and Supporting Documents
U.S. Low-Carbon Cement Protocol Version 1.0 October 4, 2023 Low-Carbon Cement Protocol V1.0 Summary

Protocol Supporting Documents

The documents and tools below are companions to the protocol and must be used for project development and verification oversight.

Document/Tool (version) Description
LCC QuanTool The Reserve has developed a LCC Calculation Tool to assist with the quantification of projects using the U.S. Low-Carbon Cement Protocol. The equations in the tool mirror those in the protocol, and perform calculations for all required and optional SSRs to conduct protocol-compliant emission reduction estimations. Use of the tool is optional.

If you are developing a U.S. Low-Carbon Cement project and would like to receive a copy of this tool, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. In the body of the e-mail message, please include the following information:

  • Dates of the current reporting period for your project
  • Whether Approach 1 or 2 will be used for the baseline calculations
ASTM International Standard Guidance A brief description of how the LCC protocol utilizes ASTM International Standards and relevant standard for eligible Supplementary or Alternative Cementitious Materials (SCMs/ACMs). This is an optional guidance document that outlines the appropriate report(s) required by product type during verification.

Project Registration Documents

Document Description Required Phase Privilege
Low-Carbon Cement Submittal Form A proposal to undertake a low-carbon cement project. Project Submittal Public
Project Diagram Diagram of the facility showing where the project is located within the manufacturing plant. Project Submittal Private
Low-Carbon Cement Project Data Report The purpose of this document is to assist project developers in identifying high areas of risk, highlight important aspects of the protocol, and facilitate verification. Verification Private
Low-Carbon Cement Monitoring Plan The Monitoring Plan serves as the basis for verification bodies to confirm that the monitoring and reporting requirements in Section 6 and Section 7 have been met, and that consistent, rigorous monitoring and record keeping is ongoing at the project site. Verification Public
Attestation of SCM/ACM Use Document that provides assurances that the SCM/ACM is being purchased instead of portland cement, the product meets quality standards and ownership of emission reduction rights is understood. Verification Public

Protocol Development

The protocol development process for the Low-Carbon Cement Protocol Development involved a multi-stakeholder workgroup, public comment period, and responses to public comments. For more information, please visit:

Please contact [email protected] with questions or comments.