Canada’s cement industry is leading the way in the fight to tackle climate change by joining the Net-Zero Challenge as the first industry-wide participant.
The Net-Zero Challenge is a voluntary initiative led by the Government of Canada that encourages businesses to develop and implement credible and effective plans to transition their facilities and operations to net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Cement Association of Canada is one of the 12 founding Canadian organizations that have joined. The Canadian cement industry is a prime example of an entire industry that is in the process of transitioning to net-zero emissions, in close collaboration with the Government of Canada.
“Climate change is our industry’s most significant challenge. It is also our greatest opportunity. By charting a credible, transparent path to net-zero emissions, our industry continues its history of leadership in building the sustainable world of tomorrow. We are proud to be a founding participant in the Net-Zero Challenge as just one example of our pursuit of proactive partnerships with governments, the construction sector and civil society groups to support the ambitious and science based imperative of reducing carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050.” said Adam Auer, president and CEO, Cement Association of Canada.
Concrete is the most used building material on the planet, second only to water. It is found in virtually every class of infrastructure – from bridges to buildings, watermains to hydro-dams, hospitals to schools, sidewalks to subways. Concrete’s strength, durability and resilience will play a critical role in ensuring our infrastructure stands up to extreme weather– heat, flooding, wildfires and wind. Set to be released later this fall, the cement and concrete industry action plan to produce net-zero concrete by 2050 will include significant milestones, including cutting carbon emissions up to 40 per cent by 2030.
Participation in the Net Zero Challenge requires public transparency and disclosure, including a comprehensive net-zero plan, two interim emissions reduction targets consistent with achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier, and annual progress updates.
