Global gathering of cement and concrete industry leaders, governments and experts in Bangkok, calls for new policy commitments to support net zero mission

An international conference in Bangkok, attended by nearly 200 CEOs and leaders from the global cement and concrete industry has called for new policy commitments to support the industry’s drive to net zero. They were taking part in the Global Cement and Association’s 2024 CEO Gathering and Leaders Conference and were joined by ministers from the governments of Canada, the UAE and Thailand, as well as economists and a variety of experts. The GCCA is the voice of the global industry and its leading membership association, supporting its work to reach net zero.

During the conference, the UN’s Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), together with the Canadian government, unveiled a new package of investment, technical and other support, to help Thailand decarbonise its own cement industry. Working with the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA), Thailand has become one of the first countries in the word to develop a credible national roadmap for delivering on the industry’s net zero commitments.

Unveiling the package, which will also help support decarbonisation monitoring, as well as provide guidance on developing green procurement targets and standards for low-carbon cement and concrete, UNIDO Director General, Gerd Müller, said: “we need to make sure that these technologies are shared and made accessible to all, because they are absolutely critical to building environmentally and economically sustainable industries – the time to act is now.“

Speaking in Bangkok, Thomas Guillot, CEO of the GCCA welcomed UNIDO’s announcement as “a symbol of when we make things work between a global association, national association, strong leadership and goodwill of local companies. “Over the next years, we want to multiply this type of partnership and multiply these types of opportunities”., he added.

The Canadian and UAE governments are co-chairing the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough agenda, which was launched last year at CO28. The breakthrough agenda is focused on international collaboration to help key sectors decarbonise and accelerate international action on climate change.

Speaking via video link, François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry told the conference that they were announcing an inaugural set of priority actions for the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough.

“These actions seek to accelerate work in critical areas from developing standards and regulations to scaling up existing technologies,” he said. “They will help ensure the world is heading toward making near zero emissions cement the preferred choice in global markets by making its production established and growing in every region of the world by 2030.”

Omar Ahmed Suwaina Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology in the UAE also represented the Breakthrough Co-chair governments. He told the conference that “there’s no doubt about the importance of having enabling policies to unlock decarbonisation… It is critical that the global industrial community takes immediate accelerated action to meet national and international decarbonisation targets.”

Also speaking at the conference was Eva Zabey, CEO, Business for Nature, a global coalition of more than 85 organisations and companies driving business action and policy to deliver a nature positive economy.

She welcomed the work that the GCCA and its members are doing to reverse nature loss and support biodiversity, saying: “The cement and concrete industry is central towards to the shift towards a nature positive economy. You are leaders in your sector – you understand this.  You’ve already made great strides in raising ambition through your sustainability charter, your roadmap to net zero and your biodiversity policy. So today I want to thank you for the progress made. I also want to encourage you to go further and faster. Our coalition is here to help.”

Globally, the cement and concrete industry is cutting emissions through the development of new lower carbon materials, manufacturing processes involving the use of alternative fuels, and innovative technologies including carbon capture, in line with the GCCA Net Zero Roadmap. The roadmap also advocates better design and more efficient use of concrete in the built environment, with progress on all these topics discussed during the conference.

Closing the conference, Fernando Gonzalez President of the GCCA and CEO of Cemex, told attendees that the momentum in climate change isn’t static, and the requirements and demands from society, stakeholders and customers are going to continue changing. Achieving net zero, he said, “…is feasible but it requires certain public policies – these policies are well developed in some countries and completely absent in others. As we reach the halfway point of the so-called decade to deliver, our industry and those who set the enabling policies to unlock our transition, must redouble efforts.”