Two of the industry's most prominent organizations have unveiled a new device to keep tabs on decarbonization initiatives by policymakers, industrialists, scholars, and the public in the international cement industry.
At a global inter-governmental gathering dedicated to renewable energy in India this week, the Green Cement Technology Tracker was introduced. This will track public declarations of low-carbon cement investments that align with business climate objectives that match the wishes of the Paris Agreement.
The GCCA, LeadIT, and the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions have created a new tool to spur tech adoption and aid the cement industry in achieving its net zero goals.
Concrete, the second most widely-used material globally, relies on cement as a significant ingredient. Unfortunately, cement production is energy-intensive and emits seven per cent of the world's carbon dioxide.
Eighty per cent of the cement industry's production capacity outside of China is accounted for by the GCCA and its members, including a selection of Chinese suppliers. To support the GCCA's Roadmap for Net Zero Concrete, several concrete makers have committed to achieving zero emissions by 2050. In recent years, this has led to significant investments in cutting-edge low-carbon and carbon capture technology by various large companies.
The objective of the new Tracker is to continually monitor the progress of deploying CCS and CCUS technologies in the industrial realm; this accounts for 36% of the strategies for reduction in the cement industry's 2050 Roadmap.
To further improve the Tracker, the plan is to extend its range to encompass more technologies that can reduce emissions from the cement industry.
The GCCA's CEO, Thomas Guillot, termed the latest instrument an advancement along the industry's path towards decarbonisation and transparency about developing low-carbon cement technologies, including CCUS.
The speaker asserted that deploying technology like CCUS is pivotal for accomplishing the net zero objectives in the industry. He also noted that worldwide pilots, projects, and declarations related to carbon capture are picking up speed.
We have seen success with this technology, and our ambition is to expand, engaging with governments and investors to create a global revolution in the industry.
Results from the Tracker have indicated that implementing carbon capture initiatives at cement plants has already been initiated in multiple countries, with Europe taking the lead, followed by Asia, North and South America, and Australia. Moreover, full-scale carbon capture plants are anticipated to be operational shortly.
In June, during a speech at the GCCA conference in Zurich, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged cement and concrete industry leaders to move swiftly and permanently towards reaching their net zero objectives. This call for action preceded the Tracker's announcement.