In defence of climate conferences – and why we have to engage

I’ve recently returned home from a fortnight away attending several important international climate-events in both North and South America, and I want to reflect on why these events are so important.  

With COP29 Azerbaijan also on the horizon next month in Baku, it is easy to be cynical about such events – just all talk-talk, allied with the fact that international travel often means flying and personal carbon footprints. Valid concerns.  

However, from my industry’s perspective, our shared goal – achieving net zero for the world’s most used human made material, concrete – it is a hugely complex task which therefore requires a shared focus and commitment. Progress requires input across industry, governments, policymakers, investors, both users and buyers of cement and concrete, as well as from city planners, architects, designers and a whole host of additional stakeholders. 

Our pathway to net zero is simply so big, that we have to engage, and do so where key people, including decision makers are gathered. It is actually most efficient to do that where there is a strong focus on net zero and where many voices convene. 

A fortnight ago I was in New York representing the GCCA and our global industry at NY Climate Week. With more than 600 in person, hybrid and online events, it’s billed as the biggest annual climate event of its kind. 

As CEO of an NGO focused on net zero, my role – and that of my GCCA colleagues, is to be a catalyst for change. We act as a bridge, or matchmakers, between high-level representatives, including government ministers and local industries, to discuss and assess the reality and to touch ground, in order to bring about change locally. That’s our mission and how we connect at these climate focused events.    

While in New York, the GCCA co-hosted some key events, and I, and my colleague Paul Adeleke , attended and spoke at several others, focused on the decarbonisation work of our sector and on sustainability in the built environment. We took part in a Ministerial Roundtable on advancing decarbonisation of heavy emitting industries. This roundtable took place through the Environment and Climate Change Canada funded project: Decarbonisation of the Cement and Concrete Sectors in Thailand. UNIDO hosted the event which the GCCA co-hosted.  

It was great to partner with Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Government of Thailand for this roundtable.  

The event, where I was delighted to work closely with Ciyong ZOU and Chana Poomee ( SCG ), brought together government representatives, industry leaders and financial Institution CEOs to discuss the role of partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaboration in driving the decarbonisation of heavy industries including steel, cement and concrete. 

The Thai government has become one of the first countries in the world with a credible national roadmap for delivering on our net zero commitments, and the idea for an event focused on Thailand came about through discussions with UNIDO at last year’s NYCW.  

Our work is about helping them develop a strategy for a deliverable decarbonisation programme, which covers things like the waste value chain, circular carbon management and CCUS. It is about helping them to set strategy -- taking all elements of our 2050 Net Zero Concrete Roadmap, reviewing and delivering further progress.  

Earlier this year, the GCCA and the UN’s Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) signed a ground-breaking agreement – a memorandum of understanding - to work together on decarbonising the cement and concrete industry, with a strong focus on the Global South. About 80% of cement production is in the Global South and the GCCA was pleased to host the IFC - International Finance Corporation for a key discussion on unlocking transition finance, involving  Femi Akinrebiyo and Wagner Albuquerque de Almeida .

While in New York I also spoke at an official #ClimateWeekNYC side event on financing carbon management along with  Global CCS Institute , Clean Air Task Force and Clean Energy Ministerial CCUS Initiative .

And it was great to be a able to host a joint event with our partner, Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) , who are maintaining our green cement technology tracker.  

Last week, I was leading our GCCA delegation at the CEM15 gathering, one the largest international events focused on clean-energy, which this year took place in Brazil.   

The switch to renewable energy is a key part of our industry’s 2050 Net Zero Concrete Roadmap and, as an essential global industry, it was obviously important for the GCCA to be there. Our role in Brazil was to facilitate similar types of discussion and interaction for other countries and help make the transformation towards net zero happen.  

I attended several bilateral meetings, roundtables and side events, including speaking at a dedicated side event on decarbonising cement with carbon capture, another key part of our industry’s 2050 Net Zero Roadmap. Discussions focused on how to use carbon capture to accelerate and reduce global emissions.  

I also took part in the CEM15 Ministerial Roundtable entitled “Gigatonne by 2030 – Accelerating Carbon” joining a group of several energy ministers from across the world, to discuss the vital need to accelerate #CCUS and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CRD) technologies, as part of a holistic decarbonisation strategy.  

In my view, the benefits of attending such climate focused events far outweigh the negatives. During these last two weeks I have spent a lot of quality time with decision makers, and that really matters if we are to drive the initiative and good will needed to make change happen locally. 

Our engagement will continue as we build up to COP29 in November. The focus of that important international gathering in Azerbaijan will be individual country pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, known as Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs, as well as financing our net zero commitments.  

The GCCA will be hosting a pavilion in the blue zone, so that we can properly engage with COP delegates, governments, financiers and other stakeholders. Come and talk to us at COP29 if you are attending and help us make meaningful progress on our collective mission to reach net zero.