Heriot-Watt University accelerates efforts to decarbonise the cement industry

A ground-breaking project led by Heriot-Watt University is accelerating efforts to decarbonise the energy-intensive cement industry. The innovative government, industry and academic collaboration has unveiled a series of ambitious targets for the sector, leading to net zero emissions across the UAE by 2040 before being rolled out globally. 

The research, which is being led by the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) based at the University’s Dubai campus, will focus on four key areas: materials and waste management, building permits and regulations, new technologies and education.

Partners include the UAE ministry of Climate Change and Environment, UK Department of International Trade, HSBC, Institute of Civil Engineers, American Concrete Institute and the New York University of Abu Dhabi alongside leading developers and construction experts. 

Dr Anas Bataw, director of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction at Heriot-Watt University, said: “During the global transition to net zero, the construction sector needs to dramatically reduce the amount of carbon embedded in new infrastructure and buildings, ultimately reducing its wider impact on the environment.

“As we develop advanced material, technological solutions and educational initiatives that will support the cement decarbonisation journey for the UAE, we’ll be sharing these insights on a global scale to support worldwide decarbonisation efforts. As a university with a global footprint, collaborating with global industry partners, we are perfectly placed to share this research.” 

Feeding into the project, Heriot-Watt University is hosting a 48h global student Hackathon event during Expo 2020 Dubai as part of its support to the UK Pavilion. The Sustainability in Construction Hackathon, running over 23-24 February 2022, will bring together students and experts to tackle climate change issues and will include keynote speeches, workshops and panel sessions featuring distinguished experts from across the industry. At stake is a AED15,000 (US$4080) scholarship per team member up to a maximum of five team members.