On August 23, the 2023 Top 50 Cement Industry Forum, sponsored by the China Cement Association, was held in Chongqing. The forum aimed to implement the decision-making arrangements of the Party Central Committee on stabilizing economic growth, analyze the current situation and next steps of the cement industry, unify thinking, boost industry confidence, strengthen industry self-discipline, adhere to supply-side structural reform, strictly control new production capacity, stagger production peaks, accelerate the elimination of outdated production capacity, improve industry concentration, accelerate transformation and upgrading, and promote the industry to move towards a path of green, low-carbon and high-quality development.

Chairman Ji Youhong stated that the determination of global low-carbon transformation and China’s “dual-carbon” targets have put forward requirements for the industry to develop in a green and low-carbon way. The rapid development of the digital economy has provided new ideas and methods to support and empower green transformation. The cement industry has also become increasingly aware that the digital and intelligent race will once again promote the competitive differentiation of cement enterprises. In this context, in order to address the difficulties and problems currently faced by the cement industry, new concepts and methods must be continuously used. Based on the emphasis of the 19^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second Meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, we must focus on the key period in which China’s ecological civilization construction has entered a strategic direction with carbon reduction as the focus, improve energy consumption total amount and intensity control, and gradually shift to a dual control system for carbon emission total amount and intensity.

The carbon market is one of the core policy tools to promote the realization of the "dual-carbon" target. The national carbon market has been running smoothly and orderly for more than two years and is planned to expand to industries such as cement. Currently, 171 cement enterprises have participated in the pilot carbon market work, effectively accumulating carbon trading experience and foundation. In the context of the cement market downturn and serious overcapacity, promoting cement enterprises to enter the national carbon market in a stable and orderly manner, adopting a dual control system for carbon emissions, is conducive to resolving industry overcapacity, encouraging enterprises to form a green and low-carbon awareness of "carbon emissions have costs, carbon reduction has benefits", and forcing enterprises to carry out energy-saving and carbon reduction transformations to achieve green, low-carbon and high-quality development, thus realizing the long-term healthy development of the industry.

He emphasized that in recent years, China Resources Cement has earnestly implemented the national "dual-carbon" policy and proposed the "3C" energy-saving and carbon reduction system, which focuses on three aspects: low-carbon at the source, carbon reduction in the process, and de-carbonization at the end. It comprehensively explores and applies technology innovation, energy conservation and environmental protection, and digital transformation. Currently, China Resources Cement has 17 enterprises participating in the pilot work of local carbon markets in Guangdong and Fujian, with a fulfillment rate of 100%. China Resources Cement will continue to play a leading role as a central enterprise, implement the "dual-carbon" strategy and requirements for the transformation of manufacturing industry towards high-end development. It will fully and accurately implement the new development concept, adhere to the practice of the "3C" energy-saving and carbon reduction system, promote the deep integration of digital technology and traditional manufacturing, empower green manufacturing, achieve full-process carbon reduction from source to end, and accelerate the company's green, low-carbon, and high-quality development. At the same time, China Resources Cement will actively participate in promoting the inclusion of the cement industry in the national carbon market construction, proactively fulfill its own emission control obligations, and accelerate green development of the industry in a market-oriented manner.

Please refer to the chinese version for more details.

Forum Site

Chairman Ji Youhong's speech