Cement and CO2, a victim of success!

Concrete is by far the most widely used building material in the world. The cement industry, which supplies the binder for concrete, is one of the larger industrial sources of CO₂ emissions. This is due more to the extensive use of cement and concrete and less to the energy required to produce the cement and concrete. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has issued technology roadmaps for reducing CO₂ emissions in different sectors, including the cement industry, through the year 2050. This paper will explain how CO₂ is emitted during the cement manufacturing process, the traditional levers to reduce CO₂ emissions and what else will need to be done to comply with the IEA roadmap. It will be seen that the traditional levers of energy efficiency, alternate fuels, and clinker substitution will only take the industry about half way to the 2050 targets. This paper points out why the industry should collaborate on the following: (1) Develop and promote a common approach to carbon footprint analysis; (2) Actively promote the overall carbon efficiency of concrete; (3) Push for a common understanding and accounting for traditional levers; (4) Support the IEA roadmap and their sectorial approach, and; (5) Further promote and educate others on life cycle analysis. The cement industry´s story is one of tremendous success in overall carbon footprint management that needs to be told in the proper perspective.