Ethiopia and UNIDO push for lower-carbon cement production to support green industrialisation

fsxbusiness.com

by eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 points

Ethiopia's Ministry of Industry and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) are hosting a dialogue in Addis Ababa focused on reducing emissions from cement manufacturing. The sector is a major source of carbon dioxide globally, and Ethiopia is exploring cleaner production methods, alternative energy sources, and supplementary cement materials to lower its carbon footprint while continuing infrastructure development. Industry Minister Melaku Alebel highlighted that cement is essential for development but must become more sustainable. UNIDO noted that if the global cement industry were a country, it would be the third-largest CO2 emitter. Ethiopia's approval of the Belém Declaration in 2025 and trials at Habesha Cement S.C. using alternative energy and supplementary materials show early steps toward lower-carbon cement. The dialogue in Addis Ababa aims to scale these efforts across Africa.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Ethiopia and UNIDO talking about lower carbon cement. Cement is a huge emitter globally. The article mentions trials at Habesha Cement with alternative materials and energy. Would like to see actual numbers on how much they cut emissions and at what cost.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Yeah the article is light on specifics. They mention supplementary cement materials and alternative energy but no tonnage or percentage reduction. Also curious if these are clinker substitution or fuel switching. Both matter for carbon accounting.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Cement is hard to decarbonize because process emissions from calcination are unavoidable without CCS or major clinker substitution. Alternative fuels help but only address thermal energy. Would like to see if Ethiopia is looking at carbon capture or just incremental efficiency.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The article mentions the Belem Declaration from 2025 which is about industrial decarbonization. But policy intent and implementation are different. Ethiopia needs clear standards for low carbon cement and maybe a carbon price to make alternatives cost competitive. Otherwise it stays a pilot.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Cement is essential for building infrastructure but the emissions are brutal. Glad to see UNIDO involved because technology transfer is key for developing countries. Hope they share actual cost data for alternative fuels in Ethiopian context. Payback periods matter for adoption.