The Global Cement & Concrete Association (GCCA) India and Xynteo announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking GCCA India's partnership with Xynteo's Build Ahead coalition. This landmark agreement aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of India's construction sector through increased use of low-carbon cement and concrete.
The two-year partnership will leverage GCCA India's expertise in the cement and concrete industry alongside the collective efforts of the Build Ahead coalition. The partnership will kick off with a critical green taxonomy and emission thresholds development exercise for cement and concrete. This foundational work will help shape policy for the production and use of low-carbon cement in India, addressing the urgent need for nation-specific definitions and standards. It will also provide several key benefits, enabling both short- and long-term innovations in the cement and concrete industry while determining how definitions and thresholds for 'green' cement and concrete will evolve over time, as well as creating inclusive definitions that encourage manufacturers across the emission spectrum to take action and consider the impact of future technologies.
Mr Deepak Khetrapal, Orient Cement MD and co-chair of GCCA India, said: “The reduction of clinker factor and the increasing use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in cement manufacturing is an important decarbonisation lever for the industry. Developing an India-specific definition for ‘low-carbon’ or ‘Green’ cement and concrete is the need of the hour, and it is crucial for the development of a net zero CO2 roadmap for the Indian cement and concrete industry. It is essential to develop India-specific low-carbon cement and concrete taxonomy and emission intensity thresholds that align with the Indian cement & concrete Industry.
We are glad that collaborating with Xynteo and the Build Ahead coalition, which includes prominent companies in the building and construction space, will help develop green public procurement guidelines for the transition towards low or near-zero emission products, leverage transition financing for activities that will drive emission reduction and the commitment to reach net zero CO2 by 2070 in India.”
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