World Cement Association exhorts industry to adopt new technologies faster to combat climate change

This is the key message from last week’s WCA Global Climate Change Forum in Paris, where WCA President, Zhi Ping Song, told members: “no more words, but actions are needed.” Delegates also heard that current technology being deployed by the sector worldwide can only deliver 50% of the CO₂ savings required to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of keeping the global temperature rise well below two degrees.

A significant technology gap has been revealed that the cement industry needs to address if it wants to transition towards low-carbon production and help achieve a carbon-neutral built environment. The WCA Global Climate Change Forum also head that existing CO₂ emission mitigation technologies are typically adopted too slowly, resulting in only a gradual decrease in carbon emissions associated with production processes and product end uses.

“The Global Climate Change Forum made clear the importance of stimulating innovation if we are to have any hope of achieving the Paris climate goals,” said Bernard Mathieu, Director of the WCA Climate Change Programme. “What has been very positive is to see the enthusiasm among our members for sharing knowledge and best practice, and we will continue to focus on being a platform for change, delivering concrete action against the climate challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Based on the results of the conference, the WCA will develop a Climate Change Action Plan, to be published in September. The focus will be on clear and tangible actions for transition towards low-carbon production and will also identify successful approaches to contribute to a carbon-neutral built environment.

“Since inception the World Cement Association has championed greater collaboration and higher standards across the sector globally”, said Emir Adiguzel, Chairman of the World Cement Association. “There are few areas where this is more important than tackling climate change, and we are proud to be stepping forward to lead our industry towards a more sustainable future.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/special-reports/03072018/world-cement-association-exhorts-industry-to-adopt-new-technologies-faster-to-combat-climate-change/