United Nations Head Rallying Cry for Action on Concrete Carbon

AS TWO HUNDRED cement and concrete industry leaders gather for a major conference in Zurich, the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has issued a call to action on concrete carbon emissions.

He called on the CEOs of major cement and concrete manufacturers to redouble their efforts, and to work in partnership with governments, to reach net zero.

The call was to members of the Global Cement and Concrete Association as they joined the Chief Executive Thomas Guillot, at a conference in Zurich.

Concrete is the second most-used material on earth after water and the backbone of modern infrastructure. With so much of it used around the world, it accounts for 7% of global CO₂emissions. Concrete manufacturers have pledged to eliminate those emissions by 2050, in GCCA’s Roadmap for Net Zero Concrete.

Cry for Action

GCCA Chief Executive, Thomas Guillot, said: “We applaud all the action our members are taking to implement carbon-cutting measures and the latest data shows emissions are coming down. But many challenges remain, which we must overcome, if we are to achieve net zero, including enabling polices and regulations from governments across the world, which often don’t yet exist.”

“So today, I urge every manufacturer across the world, who has not yet done so, to join our pledge to eliminate emissions by 2050, But I also implore all governments to work with our essential industry, to deliver the policy framework that can create the favourable conditions to unlock the transition.”

And speaking via video to the conference, the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, supported the call for maximum action towards net zero, saying he wanted to see “concrete pledges from the concrete industry.”

He told the conference that concrete is “fundamental to building a better world… and we have no time to lose, if we are to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees centigrade.”

“Science tells us that requires cutting global greenhouse emissions by almost half by 2030, That means taking a quantum leap in climate action – and slashing global emissions. Starting now.”

Industry Ambitions

The UN Secretary General set out three ambitions for the industry, including ending the use of coal-fired power in cement production, working more closely with governments, especially G20 countries, to speed up decarbonisation, and setting ambitious emission targets and transition plans, in line with UN guidelines.

The UN General Secretary calls on the concrete industry to redouble its efforts to reduce its emissions: