Calls for policy support to achieve Net Zero

GCCA conference calls for urgent policy support to achieve Net Zero in cement and concrete industry

Nearly 200 global leaders from the cement and concrete industry gathered in Bangkok for the CEO Gathering and Leaders Conference (5-7 June 2024), organised by the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA). 

And the main message was clear: urgent new policy commitments are essential to support the industry’s drive towards net zero emissions.

Throughout the event, government ministers from Thailand, Canada, and the UAE, alongside experts and economists, emphasised the need for decisive action, with the GCCA championing these efforts, and urging policymakers worldwide to step up their support.

During the conference, the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Canadian government announced a new investment and support package to help Thailand decarbonise its cement industry. This collaboration with the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA) positions Thailand as a pioneer with a credible national roadmap for net zero commitments.

Gerd Müller, director general of UNIDO, unveiled the package, which includes support for decarbonisation monitoring, guidance on green procurement targets, and standards for low-carbon cement and concrete. Müller stressed, "The time to act is now," highlighting the critical need for accessible technologies to build sustainable industries.

Thomas Guillot, CEO of the GCCA, praised UNIDO’s announcement as a prime example of effective collaboration between global and national associations, strong leadership, and local companies. He stated, “Over the next years, we want to multiply this type of partnership and multiply these types of opportunities.”

The Canadian and UAE governments, co-chairs of the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough agenda launched at CO28, are driving international collaboration to combat climate change. 

François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science, and industry, announced priority actions for this agenda via video link. He said, “These actions seek to accelerate work in critical areas from developing standards and regulations to scaling up existing technologies. They will help ensure the world is heading toward making near zero emissions cement the preferred choice in global markets by making its production established and growing in every region of the world by 2030.”

Omar Ahmed Suwaina Al Suwaidi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology in the UAE, highlighted the necessity of enabling policies to unlock decarbonisation. He stressed, "It is critical that the global industrial community takes immediate accelerated action to meet national and international decarbonisation targets.”

Eva Zabey, CEO of Business for Nature, a global coalition advocating for a nature-positive economy, also spoke at the conference. She commended the GCCA and its members for their efforts to support biodiversity and reverse nature loss, saying, “The cement and concrete industry is central to the shift towards a nature-positive economy. You are leaders in your sector – you understand this. 

“You’ve already made great strides in raising ambition through your sustainability charter, your roadmap to net zero and your biodiversity policy. So today I want to thank you for the progress made. I also want to encourage you to go further and faster. Our coalition is here to help.”

The cement and concrete industry is making strides in reducing emissions through new lower carbon materials, alternative fuels, and innovative technologies such as carbon capture. The GCCA Net Zero Roadmap advocates for better design and more efficient use of concrete, all of which were key discussion points at the conference.

Closing the event, Fernando Gonzalez, president of the GCCA and CEO of Cemex, reiterated the dynamic nature of climate change efforts. He stated, “Achieving net zero is feasible but it requires certain public policies – these policies are well developed in some countries and completely absent in others. As we reach the halfway point of the so-called decade to deliver, our industry and those who set the enabling policies to unlock our transition, must redouble efforts.”

The clear call to action from the conference is for policymakers around the globe to implement the necessary frameworks to support the cement and concrete industry’s ambitious net zero goals. 

As Gerd Müller said, "The time to act is now."