Cemex Philippines hits milestone in CO2 reduction efforts

MANILA, Philippines — Cemex Philippines has achieved a 50 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated by its two cement subsidiaries, Solid Cement Corp. and APO Cement Corp., from 1990 to 2022, the highest CO2 emissions reduction in the industry

From 2020 to 2022 alone, Cemex reduced 18 percent of its net CO2 emissions, representing 36 percent of the total CO2 reduction since 1990, establishing its commitment to decarbonizing its operations through its Future in Action program.

“This milestone CO2 reduction was possible because of our team’s high commitment to achieve net zero. We are on track to meet our ambition of less than 430 kg of net CO2 per ton of cement by 2030 and deliver net-zero CO2 concrete by 2050,” said Luis Franco, Cemex Philippines president and CEO.

“We have implemented various projects to help us reach our 2030 and 2050 targets. We are challenged but confident that we can reach up to a 67 percent reduction by 2030 as we continue to increase the use of alternative fuels and decarbonated raw materials and reduce our clinker factor. We will also focus more on using clean energy in our cement operations and pay more attention to water usage in the cement production process,” added Santiago Ortiz, Cemex Philippines VP for operations.

“The targets that our company has set are the most ambitious in the industry, but with close collaboration and commitment of all our teams, we will meet our targets. We will be a net-zero CO2 company by 2050 and will communicate to our stakeholders our progress towards becoming net-zero,” said Christer Gaudiano, Cemex Philippines director for sustainability, risk management and public affairs.

Cemex has been making significant progress in reducing its carbon footprint with the investments made in waste heat recovery facilities in Solid and APO Cement plants that increased the use of clean energy in its operations.

The company is also leading the industry in the production of low-carbon cement products, such as APO and Rizal Portland and APO and Rizal High Strength, which are categorized as Vertua products with a CO2 footprint reduction of at least 25 percent for its Vertua Plus line and more than 40 percent for its Vertua Ultra category, making it the most sustainable cement in the Philippines.