GCCA partners for sustainable cement and concrete development

The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has formed a strategic partnership with the 1148 World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to facilitate sustainable development of the cement and concrete sectors.

The partners say their agreement will also create synergies between work programmes to benefit both the GCCA and WBCSD and their respective member companies.

The partnership will see the work carried out by the 2953 Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) transferring from WBCSD to the GCCA on 1 January 2019, with activities managed out of the GCCA’s London offices.

The CSI, which was established in 1999 and currently operates under the auspices of WBCSD, is a global effort by 24 major cement producers to advance sustainable development in construction. The initiative has focused on understanding, measuring, managing and minimising the impacts of cement production and use by addressing issues including climate change, fuel use, employee health & safety, airborne emissions, concrete recycling and quarry management.

Albert Manifold, CEO of 723 CRH and GCCA president, said the GCCA and WBCSD are natural partners in sustainable development.

“Transferring the activities of the CSI to the GCCA is a logical step and further underlines the cement and concrete sector’s commitment to advance sustainable development across the construction cycle," said Manifold. "As the authoritative worldwide voice of the cement and concrete sector, the GCCA is ideally placed to take this work to the next level, building on the strong foundations established by WBCSD.”