We have expanded the list of climate policies we assess company engagement with to incorporate land-use related policy, referring to legislative or regulatory measures to enhance and protect ecosystems and land where carbon is being stored. Assessments under this category are currently underweighted in terms of their contribution to the overall company metrics. This weighting will be progressively increased over the next 6 months.
We adjusted the terminology used to describe the queries running down the left-hand side of our scoring matrix and added additional explanatory text to the info-boxes. This has no impact on the scores and methodology. It has been done following user feedback to improve clarity.
Climate Lobbying Overview: China Cement Association appears to have limited engagement with climate policies, taking supportive positions but with some exceptions. The association supported climate action in its top-line messaging and when engaging on specific regulations in China, but appeared to support a continued, albeit reduced, role for coal.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: China Cement Association maintains positive top-line positions on climate policy. In a June 2021 press release, the chairman of China Cement Association, Gao Dengbagn supported China’s 2030 carbon peak and 2060 carbon neutrality targets. In a May 2021 news article published on its site Digital Cement, the association advocated a 2050 carbon neutrality target for the cement sector in China. In another May 2021 news article published on Digital Cement, it supported a number of government policies on climate change and low-carbon development, stating their positive impact to the cement sector. The organization has not explicitly supported the UN Paris Agreement.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: China Cement Association appears to have limited yet mostly positive engagement with specific climate policies in China. In a research paper published in the Journal of Research of Environmental Sciences in February 2022, the association advocated for emissions trading and for a carbon emissions target for the cement sector in China. In a news article published on Digital Cement in November 2021, China Cement Association supported the Action Plan on Energy Conservation and Carbon Emissions Reduction released by the central government of China for its impact on reducing low-efficient cement production capacity.
Positioning on Energy Transition: China Cement Association appears to take mixed positions on the low-carbon energy transition. In a January 2022 tweet, China Cement Association supported the transition to low-carbon technologies to decarbonize cement production. In a May 2021 news article published on Digital Cement, the association appeared supportive of decarbonizing the feedstock for cement production. In a December 2021 news article published on Digital Cement, it supported scaling up renewable energies in the energy mix, whilst also appearing to support a continued role for coal, stating that the clean utilization of coal is still important for the cement sector.