FOAK to NOAK: Accelerating Blended Cement and Low-Carbon Concrete Adoption in Uttar Pradesh
About 73% of India's cement is already blended, and existing codes support its use. This GreenTree Global report applies the FOAK-to-NOAK framework, official data and the Aranya Bhawan live project to show how Uttar Pradesh can make blended cement and low-carbon concrete standard practice.
Cement and concrete are fundamental to Uttar Pradesh's expanding infrastructure and construction sector. However, their production also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through clinker manufacturing. Blended cements offer opportunities to reduce the carbon intensity of construction while meeting established performance requirements.
Although several blended cement varieties are already covered under Indian Standards, their adoption across public construction projects remains uneven. Bridging this gap requires moving beyond isolated applications towards consistent demand, informed procurement practices and stronger alignment between standards, specifications and supply-chain capabilities.
This report applies the First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) to Nth-of-a-Kind (NOAK) framework to examine how blended cement and low-carbon concrete can transition from initial project applications to wider, repeatable adoption across Uttar Pradesh's construction sector.
Drawing on national evidence from official sources, State-level information on fly ash generation and cement manufacturing, and GreenTree Global's live project assessment of Aranya Bhawan in Lucknow, the report examines the technical, institutional and procurement-related factors influencing adoption. The Aranya Bhawan assessment demonstrates how blended cement can be explicitly incorporated into draft tender provisions across different construction applications.
The report further examines existing standards and quality assurance provisions, assesses Uttar Pradesh's cement industry and supply-chain readiness, and identifies practical opportunities for strengthening public procurement frameworks. It concludes with priority actions to support the wider uptake of blended cement and low-carbon concrete across the State.
Read full report here.
