Cement, Energy and Environment

26 Transition of Cement Industry towards net zero-Sustainability vs Opportunity- A Shree Cement stride Neeraj Akhoury, President CMA and Managing Director, Shree Cement Limited Dr Abhishek Kumar Rai, Vice President, Head-Group Quality and R & D Shree Cement Limited ABSTRACT The transition of the cement industry towards net zero is not just a sustainability imperative, but also a significant opportunity for process and product innovation, market expansion for low carbon cement & concrete and potentially access new market segments focused on sustainability. Thus creating a pathway for future growth by achieving net zero requires substantial investment in research and development, adoption of new production methods, and policy support to overcome the technical challenges involved. Thecement industry isbecomingmoresustainable by using less energy, reducing emissions, and using alternative materials and fuels. Key aspects are described below. SUSTAINABILITY ASPECTS: • Reduced environmental impact: The primary goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cement production, a major contributor to climate change, by implementing cleaner technologies and alternative materials. • Resource efficiency: Transitioning to net zero encourages optimizing raw material usage and energy consumption within the production process. • Circular economy: Incorporating recycled materials and waste streams as alternative fuel and raw material sources can further reduce emissions and promote sustainability. OPPORTUNITY ASPECTS: • Market differentiation: Offering low-carbon concrete products can attract environmentally conscious customers and give companies a competitive edge. • New market segments: Emerging green building standards and government