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Illinois Department of Transportation

Low Carbon Transportation Materials Program

IDOT is taking additional steps to reduce the environmental impact of our projects by using low-carbon transportation materials (LCTM). This effort focuses on selecting construction materials and products that emit fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during manufacturing and construction.

As part of this program, IDOT will begin using environmental product declarations (EPDs) to better understand and compare the environmental impacts of construction products. These approaches will be introduced and tested during the 2027 construction season and become a requirement by 2029.

This page will share information about the program, how it will be implemented, and how industry partners and stakeholders can get involved.

Program Goal

  • Consider environmental impact alongside cost and performance when selecting materials for IDOT projects.

Program Objectives

  • Define what "low-carbon" means for commonly used construction materials.
  • Work with industry to expand the availability of EPDs for materials like concrete and asphalt.
  • Build a practical, long-term approach for using low-carbon materials in transportation projects.

Timeline

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IDOT will ask Illinois concrete, asphalt, and steel producers from across the state to develop and submit EPDs to support the GWP benchmarking process. IDOT is currently developing a financial incentive for participants and will provide more information when the incentive program is finalized.

Developing global warming potential (GWP) benchmarks for construction materials and products such as concrete, asphalt, and steel requires quality data that comes from environmental product declarations (EPDs.) IDOT will first ask Illinois concrete and asphalt producers to develop and submit EPDs to support the GWP benchmarking process. EPD collection for GWP benchmarking will happen outside of the normal construction process. All asphalt and concrete producers who supply to Illinois are asked to participate. Details will be released when the incentive program is finalized.

Once a representative amount of EPDs is collected, the program will identify regional and product type environmental global warming potential (GWP) benchmarks.

Starting in 2027, IDOT will select projects to pilot EPD collection in construction.  Within the year, IDOT will pilot embodied carbon as one of the attributes to consider in construction, along with performance, cost, and other factors. Starting in 2028, this will be put into conventional practice, and final program refinement will be implemented for full rollout in the 2029 construction season, ensuring all IDOT’s projects are safe, durable, and low carbon.

IDOT will offer training opportunities to support construction professionals, suppliers, and engineers in understanding and implementing the low-carbon transportation materials (LCTMs) program. These sessions will provide practical guidance on submitting environmental product declarations (EPDs) to the global warming potential (GWP) benchmarking program and strategies to reduce embodied carbon in transportation projects.

Through these training opportunities, participants will gain the knowledge and tools needed to adopt sustainable construction techniques, stay ahead of industry standards, and contribute to Illinois’ efforts to build greener, more sustainable infrastructure.

The list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) will outline how the LCTM program will operate, EPD incentives, benchmarking, and more. Please submit questions via the contact at the bottom of the page.

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