The Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC) was established in March 2024 through the Déclaration de Chaillot, endorsed by over 60 countries at the Buildings and Climate Global Forum in Paris. The council brings together governments to accelerate decarbonization and resilience in the building sector, aligning national efforts with global climate goals. Thematic priorities set by the Troika and ICBC members, informed by initiatives like GlobalABC Hubs and Action Groups, guide technical meetings where members collaborate and share expertise. Meeting outcomes shape “a pipeline of products” for endorsement or acknowledgement at various government levels.
ICBC members are encouraged to endorse and adopt a suite of strategic products to accelerate delivery on their commitments under the Declaration in their respective countries.
The GCCA proposal on blended cements and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to reduce clinker content and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) was accepted as one of the twelve ICBC products/ initiatives for ICBC country members to acknowledge, endorse, and translate ambition into national action. Countries that have acknowledged this initiative so far include Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Luxembourg, and New Zealand.
ICBC members recognize blended cements/SCMs as quick win solutions to reduce GHG emissions and emphasize that these materials can significantly lower the embodied emissions that occur upfront in new buildings.
Countries are invited to join in committing to:
- support review of standards, regulations and codes, and an update if necessary, to ensure the latest international standards and state-of-the-art technologies are reflected, or directly used, to facilitate best practice in use of blended cements/SCMs.
- where possible, procure low-carbon cements and concretes, including those containing blended cement/SCMs, in all major government funded projects.
- work with industry to enable access and remove barriers to sourcing and use of SCMs thereby promoting decarbonisation and circularity.
GCCA collaborates with its network of national association partners to leverage the ICBC pledge on blended cements and SCMs in sharing best practices and case studies of SCMs deployment in their respective countries and supporting their advocacy efforts.
ICBC Policy Documents