36 Funding Partners, 9 Research Partners Power Asphalt Pavement Net Zero Initiative
The Road Forward, a Vision for Net Zero Pavements, Speeds into Fourth Year with Sustained Support from Asphalt Producers, R&D Community, and Supporting Industries
The road to net zero asphalt pavements is revving up. The Road Forward, that is.
Launched by the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) in January 2022 on behalf of its 1,100 members and the industry responsible for building and maintaining some 94% of US roadway surfaces, The Road Forward represents the industry’s vision to reduce carbon emissions in the production and construction of those pavements by 2050. As the program nears the end of its three-year mark, the team behind the effort is not letting up.
“Four years ago, NAPA leadership recognized the importance of creating industry goals to chart a sustainable path forward for the industry,” remarked J. Richard Willis, PhD, NAPA Vice President for Engineering, Research, & Technology. “Continued member support of The Road Forward empowers asphalt pavement industry stakeholders to play an active role in shaping the national dialogue on carbon emission goals in road construction. It’s easier to stay prepared than to get prepared, and as our coalition grows, so does our ability to head off specifications and restrictions that could negatively impact the industry.”
The Road Forward is excelling because it was designed by members and is widely supported by the industry. To date, 36 NAPA member companies of all types and sizes have signed on and stayed on. The first two to do so were Peckham Industries and Cargill Asphalt Solutions.
“As an asphalt mix producer, Peckham is excited to see the continued efforts to make The Road Forward accessible to all contractors across the country,” said Will Hadeka, General Manager for Peckham Industries. “The collaboration that The Road Forward provides is key in driving innovative solutions on our journey to a net zero future.”
“Cargill continues to invest in NAPA and The Road Forward because it aligns with our mission to help build the most sustainable and resilient roads in terms of performance, people, planet, and profit,” said Susan Listberger, Global Industry Manager for Cargill. “We’re all fighting against the status quo. Change is hard, but I’m proud that the industry is committed to making significant progress toward zero carbon.”
The following companies have supported The Road Forward since 2022 and continue to renew their support annually:
- Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC
- Astec Industries
- bp
- Cargill Asphalt Solutions
- Colas USA
- Construction Partners, Inc.
- CRH Americas Materials
- Dow
- Earthwave Technologies, Inc.
- Gallagher Asphalt Corp.
- Granite Construction
- Ingevity
- Kokosing Materials, Inc.
- Kraton Corporation
- Lindy Paving
- M.U.C. Holdings, LLC
- Peckham Industries, Inc.
- Summit Materials
- Teichert Materials
- Vinci Construction USA
- Volvo Construction Equipment
- Wirtgen America, Inc.
The following companies joined The Road Forward in 2023 and continue to renew their support annually:
- Arkema
- CertainTeed by Saint-Gobain
- Colorbiotics
- George Reed, Inc.
- Heritage Construction + Materials
- Sapphire Gas Solutions
- XBE
With 29 continuing partners, The Road Forward funders’ renewal rate stands at 93.5%, solidifying the industry’s recognition that pursuing lower emissions is a worthy and achievable goal when we all work together. Moreover, NAPA celebrated the addition of seven new partners in 2024. They are:
- Ammann America
- E&B Paving
- Gencor Industries, Inc.
- The Gerken Companies
- Legacy Infrastructure Group/Superior Bowen/Haskell Lemon
- Owens Corning
- Rogers Group Inc.
Identifying and filling research gaps along The Road Forward relies not just on the support and participation of funding partners, but also on the expertise of a variety of subject matter experts, researchers, and academics. NAPA recognizes the following research partners for their contributions to The Road Forward:
- ASPIRE National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center
- National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University
- T2ASCO LLC
- The Transtec Group Inc.
- University of California, Davis
- University of Missouri-Columbia
- University of Washington
- WAP Sustainability Consulting
- West Contracting
NAPA expects to publish a research roundup and 2025 roadmap at the end of this year. Updates will be posted to AsphaltPavement.org/Forward or can be received by subscribing to NAPA communications at AsphaltPavement.org/News-Resources/Subscribe. Additionally, partners will convene at NAPA’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Maui for updates and discussion. Registration for the Annual Meeting is available now at AsphaltPavement.org/Annual.
Also in 2025, The Road Forward presents the International Conference on the Decarbonization of Asphalt Pavements, which will explore innovative solutions and best practices for reducing the carbon footprint associated with asphalt pavements. Researchers, policymakers, and industry experts are invited to submit abstracts by November 1, 2024. Find conference details and submission guidelines at QR.AsphaltPavement.org/ZZBF.
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About The Road Forward
An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort engages, educates, and empowers the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.
About NAPA
Founded in 1955, the National Asphalt Pavement Association (AsphaltPavement.org) is the only trade association that exclusively represents the interests of the asphalt pavement material producer/contractor on the national level with Congress, government agencies, and other national trade and business organizations. NAPA supports an active research program designed to improve the quality of asphalt pavements and paving techniques used in the construction of roadways, parking lots, airports, and environmental and recreational facilities. NAPA provides technical, educational, and marketing materials and information to its members and supplies product information to users and specifiers of paving materials.
