New President of GCCA: decarbonisation is number one issue

Fernando Gonzalez, CEO of Cemex has been elected as the new President of the Global Cement and Concrete Association

Fernando Gonzalez, CEO of Cemex, has been elected as the new President of the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), whose members are committed to achieving Net Zero’ concrete by 2050.

Gonzalez is calling for the industry and governments around the world to establish a “robust regulatory framework” that can further accelerate the cement and concrete sector’s decarbonisation efforts. He has been GCCA Vice President since 2018 and succeeds the outgoing President, Jan Jenisch, whose term of office now ends after two years.

The new President of the GCCA says that his priorities include phasing out fossil fuels, promoting the use of alternative fuels by encouraging regulation to divert societal waste from landfill to cement kilns, and enacting policies to accelerate the extensive adoption of low-carbon construction products.

He added that market-driven carbon pricing mechanisms around the world can incentivise the industry to decarbonise and further develop technology focused on reducing emissions.

“As an industry, we’ve gone beyond the commitment phase to taking decisive action today to reduce our CO2 emissions,” said Gonzalez.

“While we are making important progress today on our 2030 goals, we currently have the opportunity to accelerate even more the pace of our industry’s decarbonization if we can achieve the right regulatory policies and support from governments around the world. That’s why my number one priority, as the new President of the GCCA, is to collaborate closely with governments and industry to facilitate our roadmap levers.”