A new report commissioned by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) sheds fresh light on how locally sourced building stone offers the lowest embodied carbon, supports sustainable construction and boosts local economies.

From the first shelters carved into rock faces over a million years ago to our greatest historic monuments, natural stone has defined our history, shaped our towns and cities, and continues to inspire architecture today.

According to the new study, natural ‘dimension’ stone is also one of the most sustainable material choices, confirming what producers have long recognised – that stone is highly durable, easy to use and reuse, and by sourcing domestically has a fraction of the carbon footprint of imports.

Conducted by sustainability calculation specialists Looper Tech on behalf of the MPA’s Dimension Stone Group, the report draws on Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and data from the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), revealing that natural stone carries the lowest embodied carbon footprints among common building materials. 

On average, stone’s manufacturing footprint is around 0.09 kgCO₂e/kg, with best-performing stone types near 0.02 kgCO₂e/kg showing the low embodied carbon benefits of using natural stone.

The report especially exposes the hidden cost of distance – carbon emissions association with transportation often outweigh extraction and processing, with European and global stone supplies typically having four times the carbon intensity of natural stone sourced in the UK. 

According to the report’s route-based analysis, almost all UK-sourced stone is transported directly by road, while European scenarios combine longer road legs with short-sea freight journeys and final road delivery, and global scenarios add longer sea shipping on top of road haulage. That puts the current weighted carbon emissions for UK transport at 73 kgCO₂e/t, Europe at 309 kgCO₂e/t and wider global freight at 298 kgCO₂e/t. 

The report concludes that the ‘UK remains the clear low-carbon option’ with the industry keen to point out that specifying local stone also supports highly skilled jobs across the UK and contributes to the domestic economy. 

Chris Herbert, MPA Director of Planning and Dimension Stone said: “Stone’s carbon performance is striking. It delivers durability and beauty with a fraction of the carbon intensity. Every building project that chooses stone is making a tangible contribution to reducing embodied emissions. On top of that, stone doesn’t just perform well today, it continues to deliver value for decade after decade. Its longevity is effectively sustainability in action.”

Longevity is also identified as an advantage with the report surmising that fewer replacements of natural stone in building over time means much longer cycles of processing, transport and demolition. So each decade that stone remains in place prevents emissions that may otherwise have been incurred by new production of other materials. 

Allison Calvert, Director at North Yorkshire based AD Calvert Architectural Stone Supplies said: “We’ve seen time and again that natural stone is capable of standing the test of time. From historic buildings to modern civic projects, its durability means it can remain in service for generations with relatively little maintenance. That longevity is an important part of the sustainability story too – you’re not continually replacing the material or relying on treatments to prolong its life, which helps keep both maintenance and whole-life carbon under control.”

The adaptability of stone is also emphasised in the report. When the purpose of a building changes and it needs to be repurposed, stone can be lifted, re-cut, or re-finished for a second or third life. This circularity aspect of stone further augments its sustainability credentials, stretching its already small footprint across multiple generations of use. 

“The message for architects, designers and specifiers is clear,” continued Chris. “Local sourcing is a win-win. Choosing locally quarried stone not only reduces carbon but also strengthens regional supply chains, shortens lead times, supports skilled UK jobs, keeps investment in regional, often rural, economies, and ensures building projects reflect local identity. And it’s one of the most practical and economical ways to align construction with net zero goals.” 

The report makes that point particularly clearly on a project-by-project basis, stressing that using imported stone can miss project-specific opportunities. For example, Scottish Whinstone has a transport footprint of 18 kgCO₂e/t compared to Chinese granite at 235 kgCO₂e/t based on transport to the UK – a thirteen-fold difference. Portland Limestone is about 36 kgCO₂e/t compared to Portuguese limestone at 451 kgCO₂e/t. Matching the nearest technically suitable quarry to the project can therefore significantly reduce emissions. 

The report’s findings also underline why domestic natural stone should be considered more fully within the building and roofing stone market that is currently supplied by a significant volume of imported material. The case is not simply about material substitution; where natural stone is already being specified, the evidence shows that choosing an appropriate UK source can materially reduce transport emissions and strengthen the environmental case for the specification. The report’s analysis demonstrates that sourcing choices should be considered alongside the material’s manufacturing footprint, service life and potential for reuse. 

Authors of the report say its credibility lies in its methodology since most of the figures are drawn from the EC3 platform, with data gaps fulfilled by careful selection of credible, recent EPDs for stone with clear system boundaries, declared units and independent verification. Calculations follow the ISO14040/44 life-cycle framework so results remain comparable across scenarios and robust under technical review. The study is built on an open dataset and third-party-verified EPDs, offering a transparent, traceable basis for comparison, with every number source-linked and calculated consistently for decisions that stand up to audit.

The UK’s dimension stone producers hope that the evidence-based approach applied in the study gives architects, designers and specifiers confidence that stone’s low-carbon credentials are robust and that comparisons between domestic and imported products can take proper account of the transport journey as well as production.

Chris concluded: “By choosing stone – especially local materials – it’s clear that projects can achieve meaningful carbon savings without compromising performance or aesthetics. Stone connects tradition and innovation, and this new report reminds us that sustainable choices today can shape the strength and beauty of tomorrow’s built environment.”

The full report ‘Stone: naturally low-carbon’ is available on the MPA website https://www.mineralproducts.org/MPA/media/root/Publications/2026/MPA-Dimension-Stone-naturally-low%e2%80%91carbon-report-Sept-2026.pdf.

ENDS

About the Mineral Products Association:

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) is the trade association for the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and industrial sand industries. MPA is the sectoral voice for mineral products, covering 100% of UK cement and lime production, 90% of GB aggregates production, 95% of asphalt and over 60% of ready-mixed concrete and precast concrete production. In 2023, the industry supplied £18.4 billion worth of materials and services to the Economy, directly generating £6.7 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA). It is the largest supplier to the construction industry, which generated £141.5 billion in GVA in 2023. 

For media enquiries, contact Robert McIlveen at: Robert.McIlveen@mineralproducts.org ; tel: 07394 568782