THE CEMENT INDUSTRY AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: CURRENT AND POTENTIAL FUTURE CEMENT INDUSTRY CO{sub}2 EMISSIONS

摘要

The cement industry is responsible for approximately 5% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases cannot be stabilized without addressing this important emissions source. The industry emits nearly 900 kg of CO{sub}2 for every 1000 kg of cement produced. As a result of the significant emissions per unit of cement produced, emerging climate change policies have the potential to place the industry at significant financial risk. To create the foundation for an industry-wide climate change response strategy and manage the associated environmental and financial risk, ten of the world's largest cement companies, under the auspices of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, sponsored a quantitative assessment of current and potential future CO{sub}2 emissions from the cement industry in 14 regions of the world [1]. Some key results from the assessment are reported in this paper. Quantitatively, current and potential future cement industry greenhouse gas emissions are evaluated under the new family of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios that were developed as part of the Third Assessment and documented in the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES). The results of the assessment show that if the industry does not improve its current specific emissions (i.e., kg of CO{sub}2 emitted per unit of cement produced), its relative contribution to anthropogenic CO{sub}2 emissions increases by more than one order of magnitude over the next century. The industry faces several challenges as it seeks to reduce its specific CO{sub}2 emissions, including (1) its heavy dependence on fossil fuels, and especially highcarbon fossil fuels, (2) its dependence on limestone-based clinker, and (3) the age and efficiency of its capital stock, especially in regions where future demand is expected to be high.