‘What is the big deal about cement?’

• Outline emissions related to cement (stats, figures, the fact that it is a big problem)

  • Description about how the 8-9% is calculated and where throughout the process of production it is from

• Cement value chain (it is the greatest input into concrete)

• Put into perspective (compare to aviation, etc.)

• Overview of why it is so difficult to make change in the cement industry ‘big cement’, consolidation, same technology for 150 years

• Brief mention of GGBS and related circular economy challenges [or save this for the second post]

• The impact of global warming on an 85% reduced carbon cement product (if 50% of cement was replaced with it; 75%; 100%)

• “It is hard to think of a topic less sexy than cement” - Toone

• Between 2011 - 2013, China used as much cement as the US did in all of the 20th century

• Currently fairly lax regulation on emissions

• Areas in traditional cement process which produce emissions: 90% kiln; 50% limestone —> lime; 40% burning coal for heat inside the kiln

• Concrete: In the past 40 years, we've tripled the per capita production of concrete, and as a result it's making an impact

• China produces more cement than any other country, using more in the last 3yrs than was used by the US in all of the 20th century (India second, followed by EU)

Cement: The problem

• 50% of emissions created by the chemical reaction where limestone (CaCO3) is converted to lime (CaO)
• 40% by a kiln required for this calcination process to take place (kiln heated to 1400 degrees C)
• 10% through extraction of RMs from the earth