Cement and concrete industry leaders convene online to discuss ‘building the sustainable world of tomorrow’
MORE than 400 cement and concrete industry delegates, chief executive officers, experts and key stakeholders from around the world gathered online this week for the Global Cement and Concrete Association’s (GCCA) third annual conference.
Running from 6-7 October 2020, the virtual conference was organized to discuss the industry’s role in ‘building the sustainable world of tomorrow’ – the focus and title of the two-day event.
The conference followed the milestone announcement last month (September) of the GCCA’s Climate Ambition 20250, which outlines the industry’s aspiration to deliver society with carbon-neutral concrete by 2050.
Dinah McLeod (pictured), chief executive of the GCCA, said: ‘Our global conference provided a great opportunity to discuss the next steps in achieving our ambition to drive down the CO2 footprint of concrete, the world’s most used material after water.
‘Concrete is crucial to building the sustainable and prosperous world of tomorrow, and how we achieve that was at the heart of our discussions. We gathered some of the best and brightest minds within the industry and from key stakeholders to address this vital challenge.’
Moderated by renowned broadcaster Gavin Esler, the conference included a keynote presentation from Dr Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency on industry transition to a low-carbon future.
Other key contributors over the two days included Pratima Rangarajan, chief executive of OGCI Climate Investments, high-level stakeholder organizations including WeMeanBusiness, and the IUCN Global Business and Biodiversity Programme, as well as cement and concrete industry CEOs.
Delegates also discussed health and safety, best practices and reporting, thought leadership and resilience, and the role of innovation in building a more sustainable world.
Dinah McLeod added: ‘The conference showed the progress we have made on our global industry roadmap, which will define the actions our industry will take towards delivering a carbon-neutral future.
‘Our roadmap outlines the need for co-operation with governments, policymakers, stakeholders and other industries to achieve this important ambition for the world.’
