Dangote Cement has recommitted to sustainable manufacturing and low carbon cement production following its participation in the Global Cement and Concrete Association’s CEO Strategic Dialogue in Madrid, where industry leaders from around the world mapped out pathways toward net zero emissions.
Group Managing Director Arvind Pathak, who joined chief executives from major global cement and concrete companies at the two day forum, said Africa’s cement industry must pursue economic growth and environmental sustainability simultaneously to keep pace with the continent’s rising infrastructure demand, embracing innovative pathways to cut carbon emissions even as that demand continues to climb. The dialogue covered low carbon construction, climate policy, decarbonisation financing, technological innovation and collaborative approaches to reaching net zero across the cement and concrete value chain, and Pathak said the discussions underscored the need for African cement producers specifically to speed up their transition to cleaner production, particularly through greater use of alternative fuels, reduced clinker content and investment in cement technologies suited to local conditions.
He said meeting the industry’s climate ambitions will require deeper collaboration among governments, financiers, technology providers, customers and other stakeholders as infrastructure demand keeps rising across the continent, and reaffirmed Dangote Cement’s own target of cutting carbon emissions intensity by 20 percent by 2030, using 2021 as the baseline year. The company’s decarbonisation strategy includes greater adoption of alternative fuels, investment in renewable energy, improvements in thermal and electrical efficiency, and clinker substitution to reduce emissions from production. Dangote Cement, a founding member of the Global Cement and Concrete Association, said its participation in the Madrid dialogue reflects its commitment to aligning with global best practice while strengthening its leadership in low carbon cement production across Africa, with Pathak also serving as an elected member of the association’s board representing the company in industry wide decarbonisation efforts. The summit also reviewed the association’s climate leadership plans ahead of COP30, with participants stressing the importance of innovation, policy support and strategic partnerships in accelerating the shift to net zero while still meeting growing global infrastructure demand.
