WCA urges climate change action

(Posted on 27/06/18)

The World Cement Association (WCA) has warned of the growing pressures on the global cement industry and urges leading players to act together on climate change and transition to a low carbon production.

With new regulations coming into force in a growing number of countries, such as the extension of the CO2 trading scheme, cement companies which are not able to limit their emissions may have to buy extra permits. China just established the world largest emission trading scheme, starting with power production facilities, and other countries might follow, affecting large parts of the cement industry. Europe has also upgraded its emissions trading scheme, and CO2 price increases are expected beyond 2020.

At the same time, pressure from investors and financial markets is growing for energy-intensive sectors to adapt their business strategies to this low-carbon transition. Having to simultaneously keep their business profitable and meet the demand for buildings and infrastructure while decreasing its carbon intensity from production processes, fuel uses and its product end use, the cement sector is coming under increasing pressure.

“It is high time for the cement industry to take joint action on climate change together,” said Bernard Mathieu, Director of the WCA Climate Programme. “The low carbon transition also creates new business opportunities and new revenue streams for the building materials sector, which should be seized and deployed now to be prepared for future challenges.”

At its Global Climate Change Forum, the World Cement Association will engage in a dialogue with experts and representatives from the cement industry to discuss the actions required to effectively address the environmental challenges faced by the sector. With a membership base representing more than 1 billion tons of annual cement production capacity all around the world, the WCA and its members have the power to affect change.