Cement body commences process to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
Maureen Ihua-Maduenyi
The Global Cement and Concrete Association, a group which represents cement and concrete producers from around the world, has published its first six sustainability guidelines.
The GCCA’s membership, which includes Nigeria’s Dangote Cement Plc and LafargeHolcim, accounts for about 30 per cent of the world’s cement production capacity.
According to the association, the six guidelines include a number of simple, reliable and representative Key Performance Indicators against which full member companies must monitor and report on their sustainability performance across a number of key activities.
The guidelines include monitoring and reporting carbon dioxide emissions and other emissions from cement manufacturing; co-processing of fuels and materials; safety; and water usage.
GCCA Cement Director, Claude Lorea, said the guidelines would help cement producers to work towards reducing CO2 emissions.
Lorea added, “The Sustainability Guidelines are important as they provide industry and stakeholders with a means to document and improve the sustainability performance of the global cement and concrete sectors against the GCCA Sustainability Charter.
“Signing up to the guidelines emphasises the cement and concrete sector’s commitment to sustainable development including its critical work to reducing global CO2 emissions.”
The association stated that to achieve the extended compliance, full GCCA members would have their data and targets verified and reported publicly.
“The GCCA intends to communicate data publicly in a consolidated format. The GCCA last month published a sustainability charter which sets out five key pillars which encompass the sustainability spectrum of the cement and concrete sector,” the group said.
Lorea said players in the cement sector were determined to ensure leadership in sustainability.
“It’s great to launch the first six of our Sustainability Guidelines immediately after the completion of COP24. You might say the Guidelines are our rulebook. The sector is determined to keep up the momentum and demonstrate leadership in sustainability – that is what our GCCA members are committed to and these guidelines will help ensure that we keep on track,” Lorea added.