Canada: The Cement Association of Canada (CAC), with its members and partners in the concrete sector, has released Concrete Zero, an action plan to help the local cement and concrete sector reach net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. The five priority areas it is focusing on include: eliminating the use of coal and petroleum coke as fuel sources for clinker production; reducing the volume of clinker used to produce cement; increasing the use of supplementary cementitious materials; working towards building carbon capture, utilisation and storage capacity; and advocating for performance-based codes, standards and specifications, procurement policies and increased material efficiency in construction. Targets include reaching a 100% fuel mix from non-fossil-based sources by 2050. The latest plant follows the goal of achieving a 40% emissions reduction by 2030 as part of its Roadmap to Net-Zero Carbon Concrete by 2050.

Adam Auer, the president and chief executive officer of CAC, said “Our net-zero action plan is ambitious and cannot be achieved by industry action alone. Working with government, industry, and partners in the design, architecture, and construction industry will be essential for success. Canada’s cement and concrete industry are committed to doing our part to help Canada build a better, cleaner future. Working together, we can deliver Concrete Zero.”

North Korea: The Sunchon cement plant near Pyongyang is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding. President Kim Il Sung visited the site in May 1973 before construction started, according to the Korean Central News Agency. Cement from the plant has been used to build the West Sea Barrage, Kwangbok Street, Ryomyong Street, the Paektusan Hero Youth Power Station and additional ‘monumental edifices.’ Other the years of its operations workers at the site have been awarded the Order of Kim Il Sung and Order of Kim Jong Il, the title of Labour Hero, the title of Merited Calcinations Worker and other forms of recognition.

US: ASTM International’s concrete and concrete aggregates committee (C09) is developing a proposed standard specification for a broad range of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM). Larry Sutter, an ASTM International member and the principal engineer at Sutter Engineering, commented that this performance specification (WK70466) will ease the adoption of new materials used for SCMs as established sources become less available.

Sutter said “For a variety of reasons, historic sources of SCMs, like coal fly ash from electric power generation, are in short supply and new materials are emerging.” He added, “These new materials do not fall under existing specifications, leading to the need for new specifications. Rather than writing a new specification for every emerging material, we are writing a performance specification that can be used to cover the full range of them.”

Sutter noted that concrete made with SCMs can be less costly, more durable and more sustainable than ordinary Portland cement. New specifications will allow these new materials into more construction projects. This effort relates to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7 on clean and affordable energy.

India: UltraTech Cement reported revenues of US$7.48bn in the 2023 financial year, up by 21% year-on-year from US$6.18bn in the 2022 financial year. The cement producer's total expenses rose by 29% to US$6.27bn. This contributed to an 8% decline in the company's earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to US$1.3bn from US$1.41bn.