At COP28 in Dubai, a new report was launched that outlines the significant efforts being made by the global cement and concrete industry and also its leading industry body, the Global Cement and Concrete Association- GCCA, so as to reduce CO2 emissions by way of various means, including the development of carbon capture and its storage, the growing utilization of alternative sources of energy, and also the usage of new materials and technologies.
Concrete happens to be an essential material for a significant portion when it comes to modern infrastructure, making it the second most utilized substance on Earth, right after water. In 2021, the top producers across the world, who comprise 80% of global production outside of China, took a major step towards decarbonization. They became the first major players across the heavy industry domain to commit to the GCCA’s Cement and Concrete Industry’s 2050 Net Zero Roadmap pledge of contributing to the endeavours of limiting global warming to 1.5C, in sync with the agreements set by the UN.
The GCCA’s Cement Industry Net Zero Progress Report puts forth the action that has been taken in the two years since the time it started. The report goes on to stress the significant contribution that companies across the world are making so as to decarbonize this critical global sector.
Notably, the CEO of Cemex and President of the GCCA, Fernando Gonzalez, went on to express his satisfaction in terms of presenting this report that goes on to highlight the actual progress the sector is making in achieving net zero emissions. But ensuring to fulfil this commitment will need the collaborative efforts of the sector, governments, and societies across the world.
In all possibilities, this decade holds immense potential in terms of growth, and Gonzales’ top priority is to help the GCCA roadmap levers that are especially designed to enable overall decarbonization of the sector.
The collective endeavors of the GCCA and its members in decarbonization are apparently having a positive impact. According to independently verified published data, there has been a prominent 23% decrease in terms of the emission intensity of cement-related materials vis-Ã -vis the levels recorded in 1990.
It is well to be noted that earlier in 2023, the GCCA, in partnership with LeadIT, introduced the Green Cement Technology Tracker, which aims to help public monitoring of decarbonization efforts in the sector by keeping track of the growth made in carbon capture as well as other significant technological projects worldwide.
The report also has many decarbonization projects that individual member companies of GCCA are at present working on.
- The creation of carbon collection and storage projects
As per the GCCA Roadmap, it is projected that CCUS will go on to contribute almost 36% of the global CO2 reductions across the sector. The report goes on to highlight numerous projects that aim to come up with CCUS plants, like the one at Breedon in the UK, Heidelberg Materials in Germany, Holcim in Switzerland, Taiheiyo Cement in Japan, and also TITAN Cement Group in Greece.
- The use of alternative energy sources is surging
Certain instances of sustainable initiatives go on to include increased utilization when it comes to solar power in countries such as the USA, India, and also Taiwan. Moreover, there is the execution of hydrogen in terms of an energy source at a cement plant in Honduras. Apart from this, there is also a plant in India that effectively makes use of sustainable as well as cultivated bamboo.
- The development of technology and alternative materials for low-carbon cement production
These projects look forward to lessening the usage of clinker, which happens to be a carbon-intensive component used in traditional cement production, and rather incorporating other materials like calcined clay. Certain examples of this include a Germany project that focuses on VDZ and has successfully gone on to construct a high-rise tower by way of using low-carbon cement. Another example is Thailand, where SCG is actively involved in terms of planning of an entire low-carbon model city.
There happen to be projects that utilize non-recyclable as well as industrial waste as a source of fuel for cement plants. These initiatives aim at reducing waste in society and also promoting the concept of a circular economy.
- Rehabilitation of local environments
This can be witnessed across various countries like Japan, India, Guatemala, and Europe. One major example is CRH’s fresh co-processing facility for non-recyclable waste, situated in Romania. Winstone Aggregates, which is a subsidiary of the Fletcher Group, is leading a project in New Zealand and has successfully rehabilitated 110 hectares of quarry land, restoring it to its natural state. As a result, the local emissions have been dipped by an impressive 19%. The featured project also happens to have a quarry rehabilitation initiative across China.
Thomas Guillot, the Chief Executive of the GCCA, remarked that the report emphasizes the significant growth that has been achieved already. But there still happens to be some distance left. The aim is to lessen the CO2 emissions by an additional 25% by 2030 and to accomplish complete decarbonization by 2050.
Concrete’s capacity to withstand damage that happens due to heat, wind, and flooding makes it a critical material when it comes to offering sufficient housing infrastructure to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the future. They look to engage policymakers, governments, and also all stakeholders in the built environment to collaborate with them for the net zero mission.
Diane Hoskins, the Co-CEO of Gensler, stated that being the most influential architecture and design firm across the world, they know the significant role played by the global cement as well as concrete industry in terms of lessening carbon emissions in the construction sector and also acknowledge the efforts that have been made, and look forward to their ongoing partnership with GCCA in this journey.
Download the GCCA’s Cement Industry Net Zero Progress Report here:
