By Yinka Kolawole
Dangote Cement Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to driving low-carbon cement production, with Group Managing Director, Arvind Pathak, urging African producers to accelerate decarbonisation while expanding capacity to meet the continent’s growing infrastructure demand.
Pathak made the call after participating in the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) CEO Strategic Dialogue in Madrid, Spain, where chief executives from leading global cement companies mapped out strategies for achieving net-zero emissions and promoting sustainable growth across the cement and concrete value chain.
The two-day summit focused on key industry priorities, including low-carbon construction, climate policy, financing for decarbonisation and the deployment of innovative technologies required to achieve net-zero emissions without slowing economic development.
Speaking after the meeting, Pathak said Africa is uniquely positioned to lead the next phase of sustainable industrial growth by balancing rising infrastructure needs with climate commitments.
“With Africa’s infrastructure demand continuing to rise, the sector must pursue growth while embracing innovative pathways to reduce carbon emissions,” he said.
He noted that a major outcome of the dialogue was the industry’s shared resolve to fast-track decarbonisation through greater adoption of alternative fuels, lower clinker content in cement and investments in innovative technologies tailored to local operating realities.
“A key takeaway, especially for the African cement sector in the context of the evolving global economic and regulatory landscape, is the need to accelerate our decarbonisation pathway through increased utilisation of alternative fuels, reduction of clinker content in cement and investment in innovative cement technologies suited to local realities,” Pathak added.
