The Green Cement Technology Tracker tracks public announcements of cement projects that are aligned to corporate climate goals consistent with the Paris Agreement. The tool was developed jointly by the Global Cement & Concrete Association (GCCA) and the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT), in collaboration with the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions.
Concrete and cement are the world’s most used building materials. They are vital to the built environment for homes, offices, and infrastructure, but account for around 7% of global CO2 emissions. Cement production emissions mainly come from two sources:
- the chemical process of making clinker, which the main component of cement, where heating limestone in a process called calcination releases CO₂,
- the combustion of fuels needed to run high-temperature kilns typically around 1450°C
Why a tracker?
A tracker, such as the Green Cement Technology Tracker, is critical due to its role in providing data and insights that strengthen accountability and monitor the progress of the cement sector. This information aids better decision-making and ensures that the industry’s commitments, as set out in programmes such as the GCCA 2050 Roadmap for net zero concrete, can be monitored.
The tool also aims to support accelerated technology adoption and global decarbonization, helping the cement industry to meet its commitments and progress towards net-zero emissions. Regular updates engage stakeholders such as producers, researchers, policymakers, and investors to ensure data relevance.
What low-carbon cement investments are included in the database?
The database currently tracks public announcements of investments in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU), and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). Carbon capture technologies account for 36 percent of planned carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction levers in the GCCA’s Concrete Future 2050 Net Zero Roadmap, which forty cement manufacturers committed to in 2021. The Roadmap aims to deploy carbon capture in 10 plants by 2030 and capture 1370 metric tons of CO2 by 2050. These ambitious goals underline the need for a progress tracker for technologies that can reduce emissions in the cement industry. Several approaches are being developed by the industry for Carbon Capture. More detailed information can be found on the GCCA website.
A second green cement technology was added to the Tracker in March 2024 and investments on calcined clay kilns are also included. The GCCA’s Roadmap to Net Zero estimates that by using calcined clays in the production of cement, instead of limestone, it is possible to reduce emissions in the production process by 11%.
Who is it for?
The Green Cement Technology Tracker supports decision-makers in policy, industry, academia, and civil society to track global decarbonization efforts in the cement sector. It details new technology implementation and its impact, enabling identification of areas for supportive policies.
The tracker also enhances market transparency by showing technology penetration and commercial viability, offering insights into industry trends and potential collaborations, and facilitating best practice through a comprehensive database of project announcements.
The tracker will follow the progress of the GCCA 2050 Roadmap to Net-Zero Concrete and the commitments of the industry.
What plans do you have to grow and improve the tracker?
LeadIT plans to regularly update the tracker and dataset in collaboration with the GCCA, staying current with industry news and cement production breakthroughs. This involves engaging stakeholders such as producers, researchers, policymakers, and investors to enrich the tracker’s data. Upcoming steps for enhancing the tracker encompass data analysis and expanding the tracker’s scope to include other technologies designed to reduce emissions from cement manufacturing.
We believe that the combined expertise, resources, and networks of LeadIT and GCCA position us to develop a reliable Green Cement Technology Tracker. Joint efforts can accelerate technology adoption and contribute to global decarbonization. Unique to cement production, ‘process emissions’ contribute significantly to CO2 emissions.
