Boral’s commitment to sustainable construction and innovation was on display at the 2026 Future of Construction Summit (FCON26), where Dr Ali Nezhad, Head of Sustainability and Innovation, presented to industry leaders from across Australia.
Held in Brisbane, the two-day summit brought together more than 800 delegates, alongside 120+ speakers and 90 exhibitors, creating one of the country’s largest forums for collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation in the built environment.
Against a backdrop of accelerating demand for lower carbon construction solutions, Dr Nezhad’s session explored how the industry can balance sustainability outcomes with the performance and scalability required for modern infrastructure and development.
Advancing Low Carbon Concrete in Australia
Concrete remains the most widely used construction material globally, making it central to the transition to a lower carbon built environment. However, much of its embodied carbon is linked to cement production, which presents a complex and long-term decarbonisation challenge.
At FCON26, Dr Nezhad focused on how innovation in materials science and engineering can support immediate and meaningful emissions reductions. This includes:
- Reducing clinker content through supplementary cementitious materials
- Scaling low carbon concrete solutions across diverse applications
- Developing next generation alternatives to traditional inputs
- Ensuring performance, durability and constructability are maintained
Boral has more than a decade of experience delivering low carbon concrete solutions, with products designed to reduce embodied carbon without compromising engineering performance. These materials are already being used across residential, commercial and major infrastructure projects, helping customers achieve sustainability targets while meeting strict specification requirements.
From Innovation to Real-World Application
A key theme of Dr Nezhad’s presentation was the importance of moving beyond theory to practical, scalable outcomes.
While long-term decarbonisation pathways such as carbon capture and alternative fuels continue to mature, there is an immediate need for solutions that can be deployed today. Low carbon concrete plays a critical role in bridging this gap.
Boral’s approach focuses on:
- Translating research into commercially viable products
- Collaborating with industry partners, engineers and specifiers
- Supporting customers with data-backed decision-making
- Ensuring solutions are accessible and adaptable across projects
This practical lens is critical to driving adoption across the industry, particularly as sustainability requirements become more embedded in procurement, design and delivery processes.
Investing in Next-Generation Materials
Beyond current low carbon concrete solutions, Dr Nezhad also highlighted the need to future-proof supply chains and materials.
Global availability of traditional supplementary cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag is expected to decline over time. In response, Boral is investing in the development of alternative materials to ensure the ongoing supply of lower carbon concrete.
This includes work in areas such as:
- Calcined clay technologies
- New supplementary cementitious materials derived from abundant natural resources
- Advances in recarbonation and lifecycle carbon reduction
These innovations are designed to support long-term decarbonisation while maintaining the scale required to meet Australia’s growing infrastructure and housing demands.
Collaboration Driving Industry Progress
FCON26 reinforced that the future of construction will not be shaped by any one organisation alone. Progress depends on collaboration across the entire value chain, from materials producers and contractors to designers, policymakers and technology providers.
Dr Nezhad’s participation contributed to broader discussions around:
- Embodied carbon reduction strategies
- Digital tools and data transparency
- The role of innovation in productivity and sustainability
- Industry-wide alignment on decarbonisation pathways
Events like FCON create a platform for sharing knowledge, challenging conventional approaches and accelerating the adoption of better solutions across the sector.
Boral’s Role in a Lower Carbon Future
Boral continues to play a leading role in supporting the construction industry’s transition to lower carbon outcomes. Through ongoing research, product innovation and collaboration, the company is delivering solutions that meet both environmental and performance expectations.
With a clear focus on:
- Expanding its low carbon concrete range
- Advancing new materials and technologies
- Supporting customers with practical, scalable solutions
Boral is contributing to a more sustainable, resilient and future-focused built environment.
Conclusion
Dr Ali Nezhad’s presentation at FCON26 highlighted the critical role of innovation in shaping the future of construction.
As the industry continues to evolve, the transition to lower carbon materials will remain a defining challenge and opportunity. By combining technical expertise with practical application, Boral is helping drive this change, supporting customers and partners to build more sustainable infrastructure for generations to come.
