Cement

The industry must prioritize supplementary cementitious materials, efficiency strategies and bioenergy now, while advancing CCUS, electrification and fuel shifts for long-term reductions.

Performance summary

– The emission intensity has been relatively stable³³² for the last five years, primarily due to the slow adoption of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs).

– The cement industry’s absolute emissions have seen a 4%³³³ decline in from 2019 to 2023, driven by a 3%³³⁴ decline in demand for cement.

– Low-emission clinker production accounted for less than 1%³³⁵ of total production worldwide in 2022. The share of low-emissions fuel in thermal energy use currently accounts for only 5%³³⁶ of total production.

– The energy mix for cement consisted of 77% coal and petroleum coke, 15% natural gas, 4% non-renewable waste and 4% renewable waste.³³⁷

– Current infrastructure stands at less than 1%³³⁸ for CCUS, clean power and hydrogen of the required infrastructure capacity by 2050 for net-zero emissions.

Future emissions trajectory

– The industry is forecast to reduce emissions intensity by 22%³³⁹ by 2030 compared to 2023 levels (according to the IEA’s Net Zero Scenario), and absolute CO2e emissions are expected to be 1.91 Gt³⁴⁰ in 2030.

– A total of 61%³⁴¹ of publicly traded companies in the cement industry consider climate change in their operational decision-making processes.

Readiness key takeaways

Sector priorities

Note: This page presents a condensed summary of the sector’s performance, for a complete view, including on the sector’s readiness for the energy transition, please view the sector PDF here.