GHG Emissions, Industrial  -  April 1, 2021

California Cement Industry aims for Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2045

The California Nevada Cement Industry Association announced plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045, outlining opportunities and actions to take to meet this goal. The commitment supports California’s state GHG reduction goal and is committed to carbon neutrality, consistent with the belief that curbing emissions is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

"Releasing this industry-wide roadmap is an exciting and critical step toward carbon neutrality," said Tom Tietz, Executive Director of CNCA, in a statement. "However, we cannot get to net zero alone and this roadmap is also an invitation for state leaders, environmental groups, and stakeholders throughout the cement-concrete-construction value chain to collaborate on pursuing this bold goal," he added.

CNCA's roadmap outlines three major pathways to carbon neutrality:

1. Reducing manufacturing process emissions
2. Reducing combustion emissions through fuel switching
3. Increasing distributed electricity generation

The statement notes that many of the technologies, fuels, materials, and processes for dramatically reducing the industry's emissions footprint already exist. However, barriers including statutory, regulatory, and permitting hurdles, market acceptance barriers, cost challenges, supply limitations, and technology gaps delay or constrain their deployment and limit their impact. More can and must be done to create the necessary conditions for the industry to move forward with large-scale, long-term investments in emissions reduction.

"We are committed to decarbonizing over the next 24 years using this roadmap as our guide," Steve Wise, President of National Cement of California – a CNCA member – said. "The road to decarbonization can have exponential impact but can't be done by one company alone. That's why we're joining to do our part in having a positive impact."