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🗞️ Driving the news: The cement industry, responsible for about 8% of global CO2 emissions, is under pressure to decarbonize
• A new report from the World Economic Forum outlines four main pathways for reducing emissions: cutting clinker, replacing limestone, fuel switching, and carbon capture
• These innovations are essential to mitigate the environmental impact of the cement sector
🔭 The context: Cement production, particularly the process of heating limestone to produce clinker, is highly carbon-intensive
• As global demand for cement is expected to rise due to urbanization, decarbonization is critical to meeting climate goals
• The report highlights innovative technologies like LC3 cement, carbon-free calcium silicates, and carbon capture at industrial plants
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Decarbonizing the cement industry is crucial to achieving global climate targets, as it is one of the largest sources of industrial emissions
• Reducing emissions from this sector is key to limiting global warming and supporting sustainable development
⏭️ What's next: Innovative solutions, including carbon capture and the use of alternative materials, need to be scaled up globally to achieve near-zero-emission cement production by 2030
• Countries are already moving forward with initiatives like the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough
💬 One quote: "If the cement industry were a country, it would be the world's third or fourth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide," the report notes
📈 One stat: The cement industry emitted 1.6 billion metric tonnes of CO2 in 2022, accounting for about 8% of global emissions
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