Forty leading international cement and concrete manufacturers have published a plan to eliminate carbon emissions from one of the world's most polluting industries.
The commitment has been made by members of the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA). Together, they represent nearly 80 per cent of the industry outside China.
Published ahead of next month's COP26 climate conference, the roadmap includes an intermediate pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 25 per cent by 2030. This could prevent an estimated five billion tonnes of CO2 emissions.
"We now need swift and decisive political action"
"We highly welcome the industry?s ambitious climate protection targets set forth in the GCCA?s 2050 roadmap," said HeidelbergCement CEO Dominik von Achten."Together, we are doing everything we can to achieve them." Earlier this year, HeidelbergCement announced plans to eliminate carbon emissions from a plant in Sweden by upgrading the factory with technology that captures carbon emissions.
"We now need swift and decisive political action to create the right framework conditions, particularly in the area of CO2 infrastructure and market incentives for low-emission building materials," von Achten added.
UK Concrete director Chris Leese also called for government support.
"It?s now critical as we head towards COP26 that the UK industry sees a package of policy measures that will support decarbonisation over the coming decad...