UK: Parliament has voted to grant Her Majesty's Treasury powers to implement a UK emissions trading scheme (ETS) in line with the Climate Change Act (2008). Accountancy Daily News has reported that the ETS will be linked to the EU ETS ‘if such is suited to both sides’ interests,’ but, if not, will be subject to an alternative pricing mechanism. The Treasury said that “in a standalone UK ETS, additional market stability mechanisms can be implemented.”

Russia: Italy-based Buzzi UniCem subsidiary SLK Cement has concluded an environmental agreement with the Sverdlovsk Oblast Ministry of Energy and Housing and Communal Services for the co-processing of solid municipal waste at its 1.0Mt/yr Sukholozhskcement plant. AMF Online News has reported that the transition, part of a nationwide government initiative called simply ‘Ecology,’ entails a modernisation of the kiln line, which the company says will be commissioned in 2023 or 2024. SLK Cement general director Andrei Immoreev said that alternative fuels use will not only increase production efficiency, but will also contribute to solving the environmental problems of the region.”

El Salvador: Holcim El Salvador has enlarged its partnership with the Environmental Fund of El Salvador (FonAES) to provide an environmental awareness education programme to 6000 pupils across six schools. The Noticias Financieras newspaper has reported that Holcim El Salvador will give a total of US$12,400 to the programme in 2020, up by 1.5% year-on-year from US$12,200 in 2019.

South Africa: PPC has reported that it has invested US$548,000 in the construction and installation of a pneumatic offloading facility including a 250t silo at its George Depot cement terminal in the Western Cape. The company said that this ‘allows the business to receive cement by rail, improving its turnaround to customers without compromising quality.’