The initiative was announced at the Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week (LACCW 2022) which was held from 18th – 22nd July in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The GCCA, which launched a 2050 net-zero global industry roadmap last year, has member companies around the world, including companies from Latin America such as Cemex, Cementos Argos, Cementos Progreso, GCC, Votorantim,and Pacasmayo and Unacem, along with FICEM’s members which include Domicem and Melon.
GCCA and FICEM will now work in partnership to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint in the region with Colombia joining Egypt, Thailand and India in the first wave of GCCA’s Net Zero Accelerator initiative.
The Accelerator program aims to identify the barriers to decarbonisation in target countries and recommend key actions. This includes encouraging government policies that can have an immediate impact, such as better recycling, the use of waste as an alternative to fossil fuels and other ‘circular economy’ practices.
It will also involve the identification of flagship projects to fully eliminate emissions over the next couple of decades, such as carbon capture utilisation and storage technologies.
FICEM executive director Maria Jose Garcia said: “Concrete and cement are fundamental to overcoming sustainable development challenges, from population growth and urbanisation to resilient infrastructure and climate adaptation.
“However, globally, concrete and cement manufacture accounts for around 7% of CO2 emissions. The global plan to eliminate these emissions by 2050 requires industry in all parts of the world to accelerate the reductions in carbon emissions.
He added: “We are focused on innovation to support the net zero goal in our region. The Accelerator initiative will help our efforts to identify the barriers to decarbonisation and recommend key actions, including encouraging government policies that can have an immediate impact.”
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