Decarbonization isn't restricted to aluminium, cement among others needs to follow zero carbon path: COP27

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP27, is the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference and is being held from November 6 until November 18 2022, in the Egyptian resort town, Sharm El-Sheikh.

At COP27 and beyond, the United States stimulated countries – distinctly significant economies – and the private sector to implement existing commitments and goals and enhance obligations and goals to help close the gap between current pledges and what the latest science tells us is urgently needed. 

John F. Kerry, the former US Secretary of State and now the US's first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate opened the First Movers Coalition Leaders panel as it came together at COP27 to provide a progress report, a year on from when President Biden launched it at COP26 in partnership with the World Economic Forum by stating, “We're gonna keep 1.5 degrees Celsius alive, and that is our goal." 

Kerry also acknowledged the severity of the climate crisis. He said, “Human life is at risk now. In the context of the challenge of the global climate crisis, we lose 10 million people a year to extreme heat. It's up from five."

"There are 15 million deaths yearly caused by poor air quality around the world, primarily because coal burning and particulates in the atmosphere cause the air quality to be poor. When it rains, the particulates also fall into the oceans, contributing to much of the acidification and chemical changes of the oceans. So everything compounds."

During Davos 2022, the aluminium industry joined the sectors of shipping, steel, trucking, and aviation as a member of the First Movers Coalition. Kerry was pleased to announce new entrants, concrete and cement, at COP27. About 7% of global emissions are attributed to cement, the second most-used product on earth after water. As of 2030, First Movers pledged to purchase at least 10% cement and concrete containing near-zero carbon.

Andrea Fuder, Volvo Group Trucks Purchasing Executive Vice President and Chief Purchasing Officer for Volvo Group, said, "Combined purchasing power and collaboration make a difference."

"In the area of steel, where we have a partnership with the Swedish company SSAB, in June this year, we handed over the first articulated haulier made of fossil-free steel."

"In the aluminium area, we were looking for a partner to access responsible and decarbonized aluminium. We have partnered with Rio Tinto, where we are also looking into zero carbon melting technologies."