The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has launched UK Concrete, a new public and political advocacy vehicle for the UK’s concrete industry.
The MPA says the principle aim of UK Concrete is to proactively engage with political stakeholders and public bodies and promote the advantages of building in concrete and the vital role the material plays in people’s everyday lives.
Chris Leese, former VP at CEMEX UK has been appointed as director of UK Concrete and will be responsible for rolling out the organisation’s programme to convey concrete’s benefits to a wider audience.
He commented: “Concrete is essential for our economy and our way of life, now and in the future. New homes, schools, hospitals, workplaces, roads and railways, as well as the infrastructure that provides us with clean water, sanitation and low carbon energy, all depend on concrete and create the demand for it.
“It is time for the features and benefits of concrete to be recognised and valued together with the commitments the industry is making to support the transition to a net zero carbon society by 2050.”
He added that part of UK Concrete’s new role will be to highlight the progress the industry is already making to lower concrete’s carbon footprint, through the development of materials that enable a faster and more cost effective building process. The organisation will also showcase the benefits of using concrete for a sustainable built environment throughout the UK.
“It is therefore critical that we engage constructively with policy makers and influential stakeholders to promote the advantages of choosing concrete, including strengthening the resilience of our housing and infrastructure against fire, flooding and other threats,” said Leese.
Over 95% of UK concrete, both ready mixed and precast, is produced domestically from around 1,000 sites nationwide, with over 90 million tonnes consumed in a typical year.
The MPA says that the concrete sector is a key part of a combined mineral products industry, which contributes around £18bn to the UK’s GDP and directly employs 74,000 people, supporting a further 3.5 million jobs.
