Reuters - Global cement and concrete makers laid out steps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 25% by 2030 and by mid-century reach zero net emissions, relying on more carbon-free energy, new chemistry and manufacturing technology and carbon capture.
Cement, the glue of concrete, accounts for about 7% of global carbon emissions, and the Global Cement and Concrete Association GCCA accounts for 80% of concrete made outside China and some businesses within China.
The United Nations COP 26 climate conference next month is sparking many companies to make emissions pledges. The GCCA plan to meet the previously announced goal of net zero emissions by 2050 did not lay out costs or break down how much each step would cut in emissions.
The plan includes finding and substituting more alternatives to clinker, a binder of cement, more use of alternative fuels, new chemistry and manufacturing processes, carbon capture and storage, increased efficiency in concrete use and pushing governments to buy new forms of concrete and approve them.
In an interview with Reuters ahead of the announcement, GCCA Chief Executive Thomas Guillot said 10 industrial scale carbon capture plants promised in its roadmap by 2030 would be built and paid for by members.
Industry experts have cited major hurdles around getting widely unavailable carbon capture technology up to speed by 2050, including regulatory issues, safety concerns, cost and public acceptance.
Guillot acknowledged the barriers, but said members were having conversations with governments and regulators, while the GCCA had taken the matter up with international bodies. Those conversations also included carbon pricing.
Guillot estimates that in 10 years, we must prove not only the economic feasibility, but also the technical feasibility of carbon capture. We are confident that this will work. Jeffrey Rissman, Industry Program Director of California-based Energy Innovation, said the blueprint from the GCCA was surprisingly comprehensive, praising plans for clinker substitution and the use of alternative fuels. He warned that burning plastic waste as an energy source will not prevent CO2 from getting into the atmosphere.
Mexico's CEMEX, a member of the GCCA and North America's biggest concrete producer, said it was seeking government support for its carbon capture programs.
Most of these pilot projects will complete operations between 2023 and 2024. All those that prove to be on the right path will go through the next stage for scaling them up, it said.