Calls for greater decarbonisation in the cement and concrete industry at COP28 have been welcomed by the World Cement Association
Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States have all made timebound commitments to advancing decarbonisation in the cement and concrete industries at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.
The move has been welcomed by the World Cement Association (WCA), which has also set targets to support a sustainable cement industry, encouraging technical development and innovation by its members to help achieve full decarbonisation by 2050.
Low emission cement, concrete and steel will all be embraced by the IDDI members
Canada, Germany, the UK and the US are all member countries of the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI), as well as Japan, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and will leverage their considerable national purchasing power to drive demand for low and near-zero emission materials.
The cement industry decarbonisation pledge is a start, but more needs to be done
The cement industry has reduced per ton emissions by 23% since 1990, with the majority of this reduction coming between 2000 and 2012. To meet 2050 net zero goals, progress must be accelerated.
With nearly 90% of cement produced in emerging economies, it is essential that this is worldwide effort. But the WCA has raised the question of sustainable infrastructure financing for developing countries, which currently will require an estimated $15tn by 2040.
It is not currently clear how this gap will be bridged, with measures announced so far unlikely to have a significant impact.
“Now is the moment to work together”
“The World Cement Association has always emphasised the need for immediate and collaborative action between government and industry to make carbon-negative concrete a reality at scale. Creating demand for low-emission materials is essential for decarbonisation. Now is the moment to work together to make necessary progress this decade,” stresses Ian Riley, WCA’s CEO.
