As cement production is responsible for five percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, it is considered a key target for climate change mitigation. China alone accounts for 45 percent of global cement manufacture and consumption.

Recognizing the significance of the Chinese cement industry as a big-hitting, carbon and energy-intensive sector, WRI hosted a delegation from the China Building Materials Academy (CBMA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Portland Cement Association (PCA) to discuss international collaboration on energy savings and CO₂ emissions reductions in the Chinese cement industry.

The workshop was the first time these organizations have convened for purposes of establishing partnerships to further parallel efforts in China.

The Chinese delegation of 12 was headed by CBMA President Dr. Yao Yan. Professor Wang Lan of the CBMA, who has served as a local technical advisor in the GHG Protocol Initiative’s China Energy and GHG Management Program, worked with WRI to coordinate the workshop. Dr. Yan gave an overview of CBMA’s activities and identified areas for collaboration between the organizations, which included CBMA’s current work in adapting GHG Protocol calculation tools for the cement industry for Chinese cement companies and the development of national cement industry standards for GHG inventories in China.

WRI’s Climate and Energy Program Director Dr. Jonathan Pershing delivered opening remarks.

“The partnership between CBMA and WRI to adapt internationally accepted standards such as the GHG Protocol for the Chinese cement industry will serve as a model for other sectors within China, which will help shape China’s national climate change strategy,” Dr. Pershing said.

The remaining presentations in the workshop were made by representatives from different programs within the U.S. EPA, including the Energy Star and Climate Leaders Programs, in addition to the Integrated Environmental Strategies Program and EPA’s cooperative work with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Convening these organizations together for the first time, the workshop provided a platform by which CBMA, EPA, DOE, PCA, and WRI could share experiences about their respective initiatives and partnerships to address energy and climate change issues in China and explore areas for future collaboration.