The World Cement Association (WCA) touted the participants at its international expert panel at the Global Climate Change Forum (GCCF), which took place in Paris, June 27-28.
The event brought together CEOs and leaders of the association’s member companies, as well as external analysts, to address the environmental challenges the cement industry faces and build momentum for joint action.
Experts from the International Energy Agency, CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), International Finance Corp., World Green Building Council, EPFL – University of Lausanne and Cementis came together at the GCCF to discuss how the global cement sector can contribute to a carbon-neutral built environment.
“The cement industry is at a crossroads and it needs a renewed energy and sense of purpose in order to take greater initiative in fighting climate change,” said Bernard Mathieu, director of the WCA Climate Program. “With these international, high-level experts, we had a stimulating discussion on how to find new ways to tackle this planet’s biggest issues.”
The GCCF started with an opening speech by Zhiping Song, president of the WCA. The expert discussions focused on ways in which the cement industry can contribute to tackling climate change more effectively. Topics included:
- How can the global cement industry contribute to a carbon-neutral built environment and help keep global warming to less than 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels?
- What are the new technologies needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
- Now that China has established the world largest CO2 trading scheme, will others follow and how much will it affect the cement industry?
The discussions were followed by a review of the priorities for joint action and the presentation of the WCA Climate Change Roadmap, which the CEOs and leaders of the WCA membership developed in a separate meeting.
