Environmental Footprint Accounting of Brick Production in an Emerging Economy – Bangladesh

【背景・経緯】

　This study evaluates the environmental impact of clay-fired brick production in an emerging economy – Bangladesh. The use of bricks is widespread due to limited access to higher-grade construction materials, but it causes significant social and environmental damage. The study focuses on CO₂ emissions, water consumption, and land use, identifying fuelwood consumption and land for brick drying as major contributors of carbon footprint of brick production. The ecological footprint method is expanded to compare the severity of these issues, with CO₂ emissions from brick production, accounting for up to 20% of national CO₂ inventory. Shifting to alternative materials and implementing mitigation measures e.g., hollowing the brick and using environmentally friendly energy sources for firing the bricks can effectively address environmental pressures in future emerging economies.

 

【成果】

　The study found that the carbon footprint (CF) of a single brick was approximately 0.17 kg CO₂ eq. (Figure 1). Coal combustion during brick burning accounted for ~50.91% of the total CF, while fuelwood contributed approximately 39.23%. Concrete blocks of the same size and performance as bricks had a CF of roughly 0.1 kg CO₂ eq./concrete block in the USA, which was much lower than that of clay-fired bricks. Although further validation using local data from Bangladesh is needed, the analysis indicated the potential for footprint reduction. The total CF from brick production in Bangladesh increased over the years, reaching approximately 6375 kt CO₂ eq. in 2020 and projected to reach 10,454 kt CO₂ eq. by 2030. Brick production accounted for nearly 8% of all CO₂ emissions in Bangladesh in 2006 and remained a significant source of emissions throughout 2006–2018, constituting 7–8% of the country’s total CO₂ emissions.

Figure 1. Carbon footprint (CF) of brick production in Bangladesh.

 

 

【成果の意義・今後の展開】

　Scenario analysis suggests that replacing clay-fired bricks with concrete can substantially reduce the environmental footprint. Including data from all existing technologies would provide better insight, but it was not feasible in this study due to resource limitations. Future research can build upon these estimates to refine the findings and expand the understanding of environmental footprints of bricks in Bangladesh.

 

 

※ Islam K, Motoshita M, Murakami, S. Environmental Sustainability of Bricks in an Emerging Economy: Current Environmental Hotspots and Mitigation Potentials for the Future. Sustainability, 2023, 15(6): 5228, https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065228

2023年08月02日