The 2025 FICEM (Inter-American Cement Federation) Technical Conference opened in Lima, Peru, on 15 September with a united call from industry leaders and policymakers to advance sustainability while keeping cement affordable and accessible across Latin America.
FICEM President José Raúl González, addressing the congress by recorded message, praised Peru’s recent public-private agreement on emissions reporting as a model for the region. He cautioned against climate strategies imposed by developed nations, stressing that Latin America contributes less than five per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Poverty, Mr González argued, remains the greatest environmental challenge, driving unsafe housing, deforestation for fuel, and unmanaged waste. “Our responsibility is to secure decent housing and resilient infrastructure while making sustainability affordable,” he said.
Welcoming delegates on behalf of the host industry, Eduardo Sánchez Verdejo, general manager of Unacem Perú, highlighted cement’s role in economic development and social well-being. He reaffirmed the sector’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 while ensuring cement remains a product that improves quality of life.
Luis Díaz, vice president of the cement, concrete, and lime division at Yura SA, called for closing infrastructure gaps across the region and encouraged participants to make full use of the conference’s technical programme and the event’s concluding site visit (to Unacem Peru’s Atocongo plant).
Cementos Pacasmayo General Manager, Javier Durán, stressed that the sustainability challenge requires coordinated action. He urged closer collaboration between industry, governments, academia, and international financial institutions to fund research and support emissions-cutting technologies.
From the public sector, Deputy Minister of Production, César Gil, outlined Peru’s efforts to decarbonise cement production. Initiatives include reducing the clinker factor, promoting cement additives and scaling up waste co-processing as alternative fuels. An inter-institutional agreement with industry, he said, is projected to reduce nearly 7Mt of CO2 by 2030. “These actions demonstrate how public-private collaboration can turn environmental challenges into opportunities,” he added.
The opening session also acknowledged the work of FICEM’s technical and academic committees, which curated more than 40 presentations and nine international speakers for this year’s programme. It concluded with the launch of the Vivir Seguros awards, recognising best practices in health and safety across the sector.
With more than 400 professionals from 26 countries in attendance, representing 77 companies and 13 associations, the Lima gathering reaffirmed FICEM’s modus operandi: to drive innovation and sustainability while ensuring cement remains a cornerstone of equitable development in the region.
International Cement Review is proud to be supporting this important event for the Latin American cement industry.
