Cemex unites global experts on circularity
and the built environment at Climate Week NY 2024
Cemex hosted a panel on circularity in the built environment as part of Climate Week in New York City, bringing together Fernando A. Gonzalez, CEO of Cemex, and circular economy experts William McDonough, Chief Executive of McDonough Innovation, and Joe Murphy, Executive Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, to discuss how we can accelerate this transition.
During the panel, guests discussed how to craft a vision for the concrete industry based on circular economy principles and ways to accelerate the development of roadmaps for cement plants to make the transition towards lower-carbon production.
“We can design for the end of use and next use. Products and buildings can be seen as sources from nature being crafted into constant resources. They can be designed as perpetual assets for the regenerative biosphere and the circular Technosphere,” said William McDonough. By celebrating human ingenuity and embracing this mindset, we can unlock the potential of a thriving circular economy while providing social, climate, and biodiversity benefits.“
“Demolition material, plus household and commercial waste account for more than 70% of the waste humans produce. With the right regulations in place, the cement industry could repurpose approximately a third of that waste,” said Fernando A. González. “This means that the cement industry could play a significant role in recycling a substantial portion of our planet’s waste.”
“Human ingenuity gives me hope. With focus and the right incentives, we can achieve incredible things, quickly,” said Joe Murphy. “The challenges of climate, nature, biodiversity, and waste are interconnected. Concrete is an essential part of our lives, and the industry has huge potential to reinvent and find inter-connected solutions that create lasting and resilient value.”
Cemex has integrated and scaled up circular economy principles in the cement supply chain through its Regenera business to drive circularity in the building materials industry. This approach extends the lifecycle of construction products and materials by reusing them in value-added products, promoting sustainable practices throughout the industry. Earlier this year, Cemex partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the world’s leading circular economy network that works with ambitious, like-minded organizations globally to con-tinue to leverage the potential of the cement value chain in circularity.
Climate Week NYC is the largest annual climate event where companies demonstrate leadership in climate action, bridging policy with corporate strategies. Cemex senior executives attended high-level events to engage with like-minded organizations and stakeholders to drive the shift to a net-zero building environment. This year’s theme, “It’s Time,” focuses on accelerating scalable innovation in energy storage, grid infrastructure, low-carbon steel and concrete production, and finance.
