The partners say the MoU, which was signed at Africa Climate Week 2022 in Gabon, will help build sustainable and resilient cities and communities in Africa.
The agreement sets out how both parties will work together to strengthen stakeholder advocacy towards net zero and encourage local governments to take policy action towards decarbonisation targets.
A key target will be for cement industry association GCCA and UCLG Africa - the umbrella organisation for African local governments - to drive decarbonisation in the cement and concrete industry across the African continent. Through this agreement the two organisations will work together towards building sustainable and resilient cities, with a focus on an initial first five pilot cities to scope out opportunities and challenges. The two parties will jointly organise events that strengthen advocacy for the involvement of local governments in decarbonisation.
The MoU also includes agreements on joint efforts to accelerate net zero across Africa and the cement and concrete industry. Both parties will aim to help make low carbon cement manufacturing investable in Africa, as well as stimulate demand for low-carbon concrete products and to cultivate a fruitful environment for circular and Net Zero manufacturing across Africa.
To reach these objectives, the parties say they will work to ensure African cities have more capacity to embrace innovative cement products and that these cities can be mobilised effectively to join the Net Zero by 2050 efforts. GCCA and UCLG Africa will also look to build stakeholder support for multi-level governance in urban planning and housing across Africa.
The MoU meets a key pillar of the GCCA’s 2050 Net Zero Roadmap, launched last year, which outlines the central role that policymakers must play for the industry to decarbonise and the wider net zero ambitions of industry.
GCCA chief executive Thomas Guillot commented: “As the world faces an unprecedented climate crisis, the need to accelerate decarbonisation efforts becomes clearer with each day. Last year our industry made a milestone net zero global commitment to reduce our carbon footprint to zero by 2050. Crucial to this commitment is supporting and driving change across the African continent."
Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, UCLG Africa secretary general, said: “With the ever-growing need for greener construction methods, we’re excited to enter this agreement with the GCCA to accelerate action towards a decarbonised cement and concrete industry. Through this collaboration we will be able to align the actions and ambitions of local government with industry to create demand for low carbon concrete and maintain our path to net zero by 2050.”
