GCCA India joins hands with Xynteo’s Build Ahead coalition to decarbonise India’s construction sector

Mumbai, October 28 2024: The Global Cement & Concrete Association (GCCA) India and Xynteo announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking GCCA India’s partnership with Xynteo’s Build Ahead coalition. This landmark agreement aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of India’s construction sector through increased use of low-carbon cement and concrete.

The two-year partnership will leverage GCCA India’s expertise in the cement and concrete industry alongside the collective efforts of the Build Ahead coalition. The partnership will kick off with a critical green taxonomy and emission thresholds development exercise for cement and concrete. This foundational work will help shape policy for the production and use of low-carbon cement in India, addressing the urgent need for nation-specific definitions and standards. It will also provide several key benefits, enabling both short- and long-term innovations in the cement and concrete industry while determining how definitions and thresholds for ‘green’ cement and concrete will evolve over time, as well as creating inclusive definitions that encourage manufacturers across the emission spectrum to take action and consider the impact of future technologies.

Mr. Deepak Khetrapal – Managing Director – Orient Cement and Co-Chair of GCCA India, said
“The reduction of clinker factor and the increasing use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in cement manufacturing is an important decarbonisation lever for the industry. Developing an India-specific definition for ‘low-carbon’ or ‘Green’ cement and concrete is the need of the hour, and it is crucial for the development of a net zero CO2 roadmap for the Indian cement and concrete industry. It is essential to develop India-specific low-carbon cement and concrete taxonomy and emission intensity thresholds that align with the Indian cement & concrete Industry.

We are glad that collaborating with Xynteo and the Build Ahead coalition, which includes prominent companies in the building and construction space, will help develop green public procurement guidelines for the transition towards low or near-zero emission products, leverage transition financing for activities that will drive emission reduction and the commitment to reach net zero CO2 by 2070 in India”.

Speaking at the occasion, Suman Jagdev, Partner at Xynteo & Programme Director of Build Ahead, said, “We are excited to welcome GCCA India as a key partner of the Build Ahead coalition. Starting with the development of a green taxonomy for cement and concrete, this collaboration will mark a significant step towards realising our vision of a sustainable built environment in India. By combining Xynteo’s expertise in driving systemic change with GCCA India’s deep industry knowledge, we are poised to make substantial progress in reducing the carbon footprint of India’s construction sector.”

Thomas Guillot, the Chief Executive of the Global Cement and Concrete Association, which works closely with GCCA India, applauded the signing of the MoU.
“India plays a significant role in our global industry’s decarbonisation journey. Delivering on the net zero aspirations of India’s cement industry needs supportive policies from its government, as well as the inclusion of the cement value chain. Primary amongst these is low carbon procurement. To this end, GCCA has published, and will formally launch at COP29, global definitions for low carbon and near zero cement and concrete to align with the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Industrial Deep Decarbonisation initiative (IDDI), which is co-chaired by the Indian government. These definitions are designed to be adopted by member countries, adapted to suit local practice and for targets at the state level to be overlaid on them. We look forward to working with our GCCA members and Build Ahead to develop this work.”
Beyond taxonomy development, the partnership will also focus on:

This partnership comes at a crucial time as India continues to urbanise rapidly, making sustainable construction practices more important than ever. The collaboration between GCCA India and Build Ahead is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping policies and practices that will drive the adoption of low-carbon building materials across the Indian construction value chain.

About GCCA India:

GCCA India works with the Indian cement and concrete sector on climate change, circular economy, health and safety, SDGs, and advocacy. It currently covers close to 80% of India’s cement production capacity. Sustainable development of the cement and concrete industry is at the very core of the GCCA’s work. The GCCA gathers and publishes data on the industry’s sustainability commitments and guidelines and initiates research. GCCA focuses on promoting advancements in innovative and sustainable construction, working to enhance the cement and concrete industry’s contribution to global challenges that promote values of integrity, fair competition, good faith, and sustainable practices.

The GCCA 2050 Cement and Concrete Industry Roadmap for Net Zero Concrete is the collective commitment of the world’s leading cement and concrete companies to fully contribute to building the sustainable world of tomorrow. More information about the GCCA is available at https://gccassociation.org/.

About Build Ahead:

Xynteo is a purpose-driven advisory firm that helps businesses find new ways to grow by creating innovative, regenerative business models and helping clients embrace radical cross-sector, cross-border collaboration to tackle system challenges. Founded by Xynteo, Build Ahead is an industry-first coalition consisting of forward-leaning businesses, Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL), Godrej Construction, Lodha, JSW Cement, SED Fund, Saint Gobain and UltraTech Cement. Through collective action and collaboration, the Build Ahead Coalition aims to support India’s pledge of achieving net-zero emissions by increasing the adoption of low-carbon building materials in the design, construction, use and end-of-life phases of real estate, construction and infrastructure projects.