Alkali-activated binders (AABs) have gained significant research interest as promising alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Several technical challenges encountered during the manufacturing stage and processing of alkali activated materials (AAMs) such as variability in raw material sources, mix design complexities and the high alkalinity of activators continue to hinder their large-scale production as a viable replacement for OPC. The urgent need for alternatives is underscored by OPC’s substantial environmental impact, contributing over 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, a figure expected to increase with ongoing infrastructure development. Green binder alternatives, such as AAMs, are essential to conserving natural resources and reducing environmental emissions. The principles of AAMs are introduced in this chapter, along with a comparison and discussion of their characteristics. The present issues impeding the widespread adoption and extensive use of AAMs were examined in this analysis. It was found that AAMs could compete as competitive alternatives to OPC with the development of user-friendly activators with minimal embodied energy and carbon footprint.