The World Cement Association (WCA) has held its first CEO-exclusive, pre-conference webinar, in which participants concluded that cement producers in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region can halve carbon emissions with zero or low capital expenditure.

 

The Mena region is responsible for approximately seven per cent of total global CO2 emissions, and currently produces around seven per cent of the world’s cement, according to the WCA. It is the largest producing region outside of China and India, underlining the importance of WCA’s annual conference to call attention to the region’s urgent need to embark on the net zero journey.

 

The webinar brought together 30 CEOs representing cement-producing companies from Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey, among others, ahead of WCA’s annual conference which will be held in Dubai next month (September 25 to 28), on the theme of “Navigating the Climate Challenge: Reducing Carbon and Reducing Costs”, with a particular focus on the Mena region.

 

Key outcomes from the CEO forum were as follows:

•Cement producers in the region can almost halve carbon emissions from cement with zero or very low Capex;

•There is a short window to be proactive and shape the industry roadmap rather than wait for government regulations to be imposed;

•The Mena region’s main challenge is due to limestone quality in some countries and limited availability of supplementary cementitious material;

•New, innovative technologies can help overcome some limitations;

•High energy prices have encouraged a greater focus on energy efficiency. Projects such as waste heat reduction now have highly attractive returns.

 

WCA and A3 & Co., a cement business consulting firm, have partnered to promote decarbonisation as a strategy, with a major emphasis on cost reduction and the competitive edge that decarbonisation will bring to the Mena cement sector. 

 

As COP27 and COP28 are being held in Egypt and the UAE respectively, the world’s attention will be on the region, particularly as Mena has been, on average, slower to make climate pledges and decarbonisation investments. This poses a unique opportunity to showcase the potential of the region’s cement sector by kickstarting investments in energy efficiency and lowering emissions with minimal investment required.

 

The second pre-conference webinar will be free to attend and open to the public, and will be held virtually on August 30. This session, entitled “Decarbonisation as an Industrial Efficiency Game Changer” will feature an overview of the WCA’s Mena roadmap, a guide on how to tackle the sector’s growing carbon footprint, a preview of the conference content and a thorough discussion of key issues facing the cement industry in the region.