Cement industry sets out its work to help tackle climate change

Cement is vital to the UK’s built environment. It is an essential ingredient in concrete, without which no house, school, hospital, road or bridge would be built. The UK cement industry has put sustainable development at the heart of its operations with the launch of its strategy in November 2005, an important component of which is the development of a carbon profile that will help the government meet its target of a 60 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 based on 1990 levels.

The cement industry is helping to tackle climate change by:

Reducing direct emissions from cement kilns
Between 1990 and 2005, the cement industry has reduced absolute emissions of CO2 by around 28 per cent. This has meant a saving of over 3.7 million tonnes of CO2 over this period.

Further improving its energy efficiency to reduce indirect emissions from electricity use
The industry has met its challenging 2010 Climate Change Agreement target ahead of time having already achieved a 27 per cent improvement in specific energy consumption relative to a 1990 baseline. This is a major success, reflecting an industry-wide commitment to improving energy efficiency through capital investment in new and updated plant, as well as an increasing use of fossil fuels replacements.

Maximising the contribution of cement to the delivery of a more sustainable built environment
Through its partner The Concrete Centre, the industry is working with the design and construction industries to promote low carbon long-life dwellings, offices and other buildings that can adapt to a changing climate through the effective use of cement and concrete.

Ninety per cent of the environmental impact of CO2 associated with buildings arises during their operational lifetime from heating, cooling and lighting. Concrete buildings are adaptable to future climates as they have the ability to absorb and release heat, which means that less energy is needed for heating or cooling, thus saving energy over their lifetime. This is important as homes account for 27 per cent of UK emissions.

Research into Carbon Offsetting
The cement industry is an active participant in a preliminary project being carried out by the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas R&D programme to determine the practicalities of applying carbon capture and storage (CCS) to cement manufacture. CCS is one of the few potential opportunities for the cement industry to make further reductions in CO2 emissions based on existing technology. The British Cement Association (BCA) is a member of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association in recognition of the important role the cement industry has to play in the development of CCS.

The industry has also initiated a preliminary assessment of the carbonation of concrete. This is the ability of concrete to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere over its life cycle. Current indications are that concrete could absorb around 19 per cent of the CO2 emitted in the manufacture of cement. This uptake of CO2 acts as a carbon offset.

For more information on cement and to download a copy of the industry’s Working Towards Sustainability and Performance reports please visit www.cementindustry.co.uk