PCA Fact Sheet
Sustainable Development>
Overview Materials> PCA Fact
Sheet
PCA: Cementing a
Reputation of Sustainability
Portland Cement Association (PCA) and its member companies are committed
to environmental stewardship and sustainable development. Concrete
and cement manufacturers have a long and proud history of working
to reduce the industry’s impact on the environment–while
promoting the industry’s benefit to community development
and society.
Providing Environmental Stewardship
PCA is a reliable and trusted organization known for balancing environmental
stewardship with community development. Architects, engineers and
builders look to PCA experts when creating and developing sustainable
building projects and applications.
PCA and its member companies are active in international and domestic
efforts to measure and reduce greenhouse gases. Some examples of
PCA’s and/or member’s leadership include participation
in:
• The EPA Climate Wise program
• The EPA Climate Leaders program
• The Pew Center on Global Climate Change
• The United States Green Building Council
• The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
• The World Resources Institute/WBCSD GHG Protocol
• The World Wildlife Federation Climate Savers program
Committed to Progress
Beginning in February 2003, the U.S. cement industry committed to
reducing CO2 emissions by 10 percent per unit of product below 1990
baseline levels by the year 2020. As part of the industry’s
efforts under the government’s Climate VISION program, the
cement industry is at the forefront of developing policies and improving
manufacturing processes that are globally beneficial to the environment.
To achieve this goal, PCA and the cement industry have adopted
a three-part strategy:
1. The cement industry is committed to continuing to improve the
energy efficiency of manufacturing cement, building upon its success
of reducing energy consumption by 33 percent since the mid-70s.
The industry regularly upgrades plants with state-of-the-art equipment
to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
2. The cement industry is committed to product formulation improvements
that reduce energy of production and minimizes the use of natural
resources. Two examples of product formulation improvements that
reduce CO2 emissions are crushed limestone and industrial by-products
such as fly ash.
3. The cement industry is committed to developing new applications
for cement and concrete that improve energy efficiency and durability.
The industry conducts significant research and product development
for energy efficient concrete homes and buildings, concrete highways
to improve vehicle gas mileage and light reflective concrete surfaces
in urban environments to cool communities, thereby reducing electricity
demand and subsequently reducing CO2 emissions.
To track industry progress towards realizing these goals, each year PCA releases a Report on Sustainable Manufacturing. The Report provides a comprehensive overview on the cement industries efforts to minimizes its environmental footprint, providing insight on emissions, sustainable manufacturing practices, sustainable building practices, community outreach and health and workplace safety.
|