The cement construction industry around the world contributes to CO₂ emissions in a variety of ways. India is the second largest in the world for cement usage and has a current infrastructure growth rate in the next forty years that will potentially increase the CO₂ emissions by five times the previous decades. The IEA analysis and report for this sector is bringing hope for the reduction of CO₂ emissions, while allowing continued expansion.

7% of the CO₂ emissions in India is directly related to cement construction. It is therefore important to adopt green alternative directions that will reduce the emissions, beyond the scope of those that are already in place. The IEA roadmap design and recommendations offers the use of a number of technologies to include carbon capture and storage, waste heat recovery and alternative fuels. This also encourages the limitation of growth to double or worst case scenario, 240%. The plan will save this area around 375 petajoules of energy by the year 2050, which is equivalent to the current energy use annually by Bulgaria and Sri Lanka. There is an important aspect of support for the plan by International Finance Corporation which includes financing and tools for the roadmap feasibility studies for selected plants, to encourage low-carbon technology.

Only China leads India in first place for this kind of cement construction growth, and this is a major step to allow growth, with a smaller CO₂ emission, in a single plan. The report and initiative was developed in a collaborative effort by IEA, IFC and WBSCD with the National Council for Cement and Building Materials and involved the various Indian companies that are members of WBCSD’s Cement Sustainability Initiative. This is an important benchmark step as it can be used as a guideline for other growing countries as they progress in construction.

Source: http://www.iea.org/newsroomandevents/news/2013/february/name,36081,en.html

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