Ottawa – The cement and concrete industry is a major economic driver and a cornerstone of the global economy, but it also produces significant greenhouse gas emissions. While global action to deploy the technologies needed to fight climate change has increased, greater international cooperation is needed to get the world on track to meet climate goals.
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, along with his counterpart, His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates, set out the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough Priority Actions, a plan to drive the decarbonization of the global cement and concrete sector. This follows the launch of the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough initiative, co-led by Canada and the United Arab Emirates, at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in December 2023.
The plan outlines a set of sector-specific actions that seek to build on important work under way and planned across the international landscape. The priority actions centre on five themes:
- definitions, standards and certification
- demand creation
- collaboration, education, innovation and scale-up of existing technology
- finance and investment, and relevant ecosystem
- landscape coordination
These actions will help strengthen international collaboration on the decarbonization of the global cement and concrete sector, which accounts for approximately 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed action areas will drive progress toward making near-zero emission cement the preferred choice in global markets by 2030.
In addition, as part of its $5.3 billion climate finance commitment, Environment and Climate Change Canada announces $8 million over three years (2023–2026) to help Thailand strengthen climate governance and decarbonize its cement and concrete sector, in line with its national climate targets under the Paris Agreement.
“International collaboration is key to making real progress toward the decarbonization of cement and concrete. These priority actions are backed by numerous governments, all working toward the common goal of achieving near-zero emission cement, a product vital to the growth of global economies. With the breakthrough initiative, we will help pave the way to achieving net-zero carbon cement and concrete while building a cleaner future for all.” – François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“Keeping the 1.5°C global temperature rise within reach requires creating clean technology opportunities across key polluting sectors, including cement and concrete. That’s why we are supporting Thailand in its efforts to decarbonize its cement and concrete sector, as part of Canada’s commitment to the Breakthrough Agenda. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the cement and concrete industry will unlock significant economic opportunities, all while helping meet pollution reduction goals. Carbon pollution knows no borders, and Canada looks forward to working with Thailand to make its ambition a success.” – Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change