– Abu Dhabi, UAE. June 19, 2025
Every time we walk on a pavement, drive over a bridge, or work in an office building – this has been enabled by cement & steel. It’s essential to urban life.
Every time we buy goods shipped from another continent or pass through an airport or a train station on the way to an adventure, cement & steel has played a crucial role. It underpins the trade, commerce, and air travel we are accustomed to.
Every time we ask ChatGPT for help, it draws on power generated by large-scale energy infrastructure built on cement & steel.
These materials aren’t just part of our daily routines, they’re fundamental to the critical infrastructure that sustains modern life.
⚠️ And hence, our reliance on Cement & Steel is increasing!
But here’s the climate catch:
🔺 Cement production alone accounts for 7–8% of global CO₂ emissions more than the entire aviation industry!
🔺 The process requires extremely high heat (up to 1450°C) and releases CO₂ not just from burning fuels, but also from the chemical breakdown of limestone (called calcination).
🔺 Global demand is expected to keep rising, especially to facilitate construction, i.e. data centers, and in growing economies where infrastructure is being built through the old and carbon intensive techniques.
So, why is it so hard to decarbonize?
It’s not just about switching energy sources; it’s about reimagining an Economic Model developed during the era of fossil fuels.
But there are good news:
🌱 Innovators, academics, and governments are increasingly collaborating and allocating funds to explore alternative industrial models.
🌱 Others are investing in carbon capture and storage (CCUS) to trap CO₂ before it escapes into the atmosphere.
🌱 Alternative fuels such as green hydrogen and biomass are being introduced into cement production.
🌱 New cement chemistries and alternative building materials are being explored—offering the potential to transform the industry.
🌱 People are increasingly choosing locally manufactured goods to reduce transport-related emissions and avoid the need for heavy cement and steel infrastructure.
🌱 Decentralization of energy generation and distribution is reducing reliance on large-scale, heavy cement and steel, infrastructure assets.
🌱 Cities themselves are being reimagined.
🌱 Remote and hybrid work have become lasting norms, reshaping the demand for office and transportation infrastructure.
Companies like Holcim, Heidelberg Materials are investing heavily in R&D, patents, and pilot plants trying to reimagine a hard-to-abate industries.
Innovators in ICT, AI and robotics are working hard designing models for alternative lifestyles in the era of information.
🔴 The POLICY CLUB – Think Tank is merging them into a collaborative dialogue, modelling TOGETHER economic, geopolitical, and technological systems for industrial transformation, aiming to find solutions that alleviate over 30% of the CO2 emissions emitted by current hard-to-abate industries, over 15% of which are contributed by Cement & Steel.
💬 The future of hard-to-abate industries can be lower carbon, circular, and alternative.
🔴 🔴 If you work in steel, cement, infrastructure, ICT, AI, robotics, climate technologies, transportation, or logistics—or if you’re investing in the long-term viability of these sectors—please join us in co-evolving sustainability by completing the form: https://borderlessrenewables.com/ or you can reach out to Ionna Trofimova Elliot , Leila Ingungu Kedenge