The cement and concrete industry has received support from several stakeholders and policymakers around the world. We know we cannot achieve net zero alone – we rely on the support of the wider value chain to set the policy and market climates to enable us to fully decarbonise.
The decarbonization of heavy industry is a crucial step in our journey to a resilient net zero emission future. While this investment-heavy transition has been slow to begin, promising changes are taking hold – and the cement industry’s progress is a key part of that.
This report delves into the pathways to decarbonizing cement production, highlighting innovative technologies and strategies to reduce emissions and support sustainable development. The report is a testament to the collaborative efforts of industry leaders, policymakers, and advocates. They need to work together to implement sustainable practices, drive innovation, and promote the adoption of cleaner technologies.
H.E. Razan Al Mubarak
UN Climate Change High-Level Champion, from the COP28 Presidency
Cement and concrete are indispensable in our everyday lives. They are the most used construction materials on Earth and a vital part of the world economy, but they also have a significant carbon footprint. We must now seize the day to work together to make green cement and concrete a global reality.
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Government of Canada
It is clear that no single actor can decarbonise the global cement industry or other heavy industries. While progress is being made in industrialised economies towards
decarbonisation, only through a global transition and support for the decarbonisation of the cement industry in emerging economies, can we achieve the goals of the Paris
Agreement. International collaboration and partnerships will therefore play a key role in sharing the risks and opportunities, as well as the knowledge, lessons and best practice, to drive implementation.
Per Andersson
Head of LeadIT Secretariat
Net-zero emissions in energy-intensive is a global challenge. Innovation will be most efficient if companies are able to share some of the very high development risks. Given the multitude of potential net-zero industry model solutions, Mission Innovation Net-Zero Industries will bring together stakeholders from industry, research, policy, finance, and civil society to identify the most successful models and facilitate cross-fertilisation of knowledge. The aim is to maximise synergies, avoid duplication of work, identify unaddressed innovation gaps and initiate joint research and innovation projects across national borders.
Elvira Lutter
Mission Innovation Net-Zero Industries Director
Concrete will continue to be crucial for global development, particularly in the Global South .UNIDO, as the Secretariat of the Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI), is working with ten member governments to drive action on the decarbonization of heavy-emitting industrial sectors in developed and developing countries. Together, we are advocating for public and private procurement commitments to stimulate the demand for low, and near-zero, emissions cement, concrete and steel as well as harmonizing systems for carbon reporting and benchmarking of industrial products. International collaboration amongst all actors involved, including business and policymakers, is vital to ensure that real decarbonization happens in all corners of the world.
Gerd Müller
Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)