Aware of the vital role that cement and concrete plays and will continue to play in the future of our modern society, and aware of the significant challenge that mitigating the CO2 emissions from cement production represents, the cement sector has made long-term committed efforts towards low-carbon development on a global scale. Collaboration both within and beyond the sector is necessary to deliver against aspirational goal and bring upon progressive advancement in low-carbon development for the sector and along its value chain.
The Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21) is a key moment for all stakeholders - governments, businesses and civil societies - to collaborate in tackling environmental, social and economic challenges and contributes to decisive climate actions.
While negotiators are working hard to deliver a binding agreement for comprehensive global climate protection, businesses are also demonstrating capacity and willingness to deliver solutions with a view to stay below 2°C. The technologies are there, barriers to scale and policy asks have been identified, and action plans are ready.
With that vision, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has initiated a unique collaborative platform of Low Carbon Technology Partnership initiatives (LCTPi), bringing together 140 global businesses and 50 partners to accelerate the development, deployment and scale up of low-carbon technologies. The LCTPi Cement is amongst the 9 solutions developed. Among WBCSD member companies, 86 have made 94 endorsements and are ready to move to implementation.
At the side event hosted by the CSI at Le Bourget on 8 December, 3 influential leaders from the cement sector shared their insights on how the cement sector will continue contributing to low carbon development through collaboration, both within the sector and beyond.
Building on 15 years of collaboration, the CSI and its members are working towards scaling up their efforts and leveraging the implementation of identified business solutions to a broad majority of cement companies worldwide. Engaging the whole cement sector would be delivering an additional reduction of close to 1Gt of CO2 by 2030, which is about the same amount of total CO2 emissions of Germany in 2013.
This collective effort by the cement industry to mitigate its emissions is highly encouraging and showcases the importance of leadership and collaboration in making the transition to a low carbon economy.
Adapted from press release by Joseph Green