Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda have joined an international coalition supporting lower-carbon blended cement, bringing its membership to 12 countries.

The five signatories back the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate’s (ICBC) Call to Action on Blended Lower Carbon Cement and Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs). Participating governments have pledged to support uptake through measures including public procurement and updated national standards.

“Blended cement is deployable today – as demonstrated by Ghana’s growing blended cement industry. It is key to cutting carbon from Africa's huge wave of new construction. Ghana is supportive of any solutions which directly contribute to the realisation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs),” said Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, CEO of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority.

The announcement coincides with the launch of Blend Better Cement at Climate Week NYC. The campaign brings together organisations including the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), Climate Group and Systemiq to promote policies supporting wider adoption ahead of COP31.
As host of COP32 in 2027, Ethiopia is well placed to highlight approaches that can support infrastructure development and lower-emission construction as demand for new buildings and infrastructure grows across Africa.

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“Ethiopia has no doubts about scaling blended cement,” says Dawit Alemu Beshah, project manager of the Climate Change Sector Reform Performance Project at the Ethiopian Ministry of Industry. “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.”

Meanwhile, GCCA CEO, Thomas Guillot, highlighted modernised standards, updated building codes and supportive public procurement frameworks as key to unlocking greater SCM use. "SCMs are a proven technology that have a critical role to play in accelerating the decarbonisation of our industry. To unlock their full potential, we need enabling policies that support innovation and market adoption, including modernised standards, updated building codes, and public procurement frameworks that allow and encourage the greater use of blended lower-carbon cements. We are proud to partner with GlobalABC and its members on the ICBC Call to Action on Blended Lower Carbon Cements and SCMs, which recognises the vital contribution that low-carbon cement solutions can make in reducing embodied emissions and accelerating progress towards global climate goals."
The new signatories join Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Luxembourg and New Zealand.