Ethiopian Business Review

Ethiopia Joins Global Coalition Backing Lower-Carbon Blended Cement Ahead of Hosting COP32 #EBR_News Sep 22, 2026 Ethiopia has joined a growing coalition of governments backing lower-carbon blended cement, alongside Cambodia, Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda, bringing the number of nations supporting the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate's initiative to twelve, according to a report by World Cement. The announcement coincides with the launch of Blend Better Cement, a global campaign bringing together governments, industry, and climate organizations to advance national policies that boost the use of blended cement. According to World Cement, blended cements use alternative materials, known as supplementary cementitious materials, such as calcined clay, limestone fines, or industrial by-products, to reduce emissions while delivering comparable strength, durability, and cost to conventional Portland cement. The report said blended cement can cut emissions by 50 percent per tone of cement compared to Portland cement, and that concrete accounts for around 7 to 8 percent of global carbon emissions. Ethiopia and the other new signatories have pledged to use policy levers such as prioritizing blended cement in public procurement and updating national standards, joining Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Luxembourg, and New Zealand, who had previously signed the ICBC's Call to Action on Blended Lower Carbon Cement and Supplementary Cementitious Materials. World Cement reported that governments are the world's largest buyers of concrete, meaning such procurement commitments can accelerate the scaling of lower-carbon cement in national markets. Dawit Alemu Beshah, Project Manager for the Climate Change Sector Reform Performance Project at the Ethiopian Ministry of Industry, said in the report that Ethiopia's commitment to blended cement reflects both environmental and industrial priorities. "Ethiopia has no doubts about scaling blended cement," Dawit said, according to World Cement. "It uses clean energy, strengthens our industry, and makes the most of the raw materials we are blessed with. It's not just an environmental story, but one about competitiveness and industrialisation." World Cement noted that Ethiopia is set to host COP32 in 2027, positioning the country to showcase approaches supporting infrastructure development and lower-emission construction as demand for new buildings and infrastructure grows across Africa. The report said the UN estimates that 75 percent of all infrastructure that will exist by 2050 has yet to be built, underscoring the scale of opportunity for scaling lower-carbon construction solutions on the continent. Gulnara Roll, Head of the GlobalABC Secretariat at the UN Environment Programme, said the addition of five new governments signals continued momentum for the initiative. "Through the ICBC's Call to Action on Blended Cement, countries are sharing experience, strengthening policies and helping create the market conditions needed to scale lower-emissions construction," Roll said, according to World Cement. Follow EBR for the latest business news, trends, and expert analysis: Telegram (https://t.me/ebr_news) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/share/1DAKyvnWSN/?mibextid=wwXIfr) LinkedIn (https://lnkd.in/eAVk65Xv) WhatsApp (https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7VyjjADTOJXYi7bN35)