A press conference and award ceremony for the first batch of Chinese Environmental Mark low-carbon cement product certification demonstration enterprises was recently held in Beijing. 14 cement companies, including China National Materials Group Zhuzhou Cement Co., Ltd., China National Materials Group Changde Cement Co., Ltd., China National Building Materials Group Changshan Southern Cement Co., Ltd., and Chongqing Lafarge Holcim Anhui Cement Co., Ltd., received the title of the first batch of Chinese Environmental Mark low-carbon cement product certification demonstration enterprises.

　　To promote further development of the cement industry towards low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and sustainable directions, reducing greenhouse gas emissions during the production, use, packaging, transportation, and disposal of cement, as well as its impact on the environment and human health, the Ministry of Environmental Protection's Environmental Development Center, the China Cement Association, and the China National Building Materials Research Institute jointly drafted the "Technical Requirements for Environmentally Marked Products/Low-Carbon Cement" and "Calculation Method for Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Cement Production Enterprises", which serve as the basis for Chinese Environmental Mark product certification and Chinese Environmental Mark low-carbon product certification.

　　Relevant experts stated that the Chinese Environmental Mark low-carbon cement standard mainly sets limit requirements for aspects such as the comparable per-unit carbon dioxide emissions of cement clinker and cement products. The implementation of this standard will undoubtedly play a positive role in guiding the entire cement industry to further achieve environmentally friendly, low-carbon, and sustainable development.

　　Zhang Jianxin, deputy secretary-general of the China Cement Association, introduced that the cement industry is an important basic materials industry for China's national economic construction, and it is also one of the major energy and resource consuming and greenhouse gas (CO2) emitting industries. Currently, China has more than 3,800 cement companies, and in 2011, cement production reached 2.09 billion tons, accounting for 57% of the world's production. According to relevant statistics, greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions from the cement industry currently account for about 20% of China's industrial CO2 emissions, reaching several billion tons. The cement industry faces tremendous pressure to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, to actively respond to climate change and achieve the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40-45% from 2005 to 2020, the cement industry must carry out energy conservation and emission reduction work comprehensively from the production process and products.

　　Relevant officials stated that the promulgation and implementation of the "Technical Requirements for Environmentally Marked Products Cement" (HJ2519-2012) standard and the launch of Chinese Environmental Mark low-carbon product certification in the cement industry can effectively promote the development of China's cement industry towards low-carbon, low-energy consumption, low-pollution, sustainable, and human-health-friendly directions. The certification of the first batch of 15 cement enterprises has a guiding and demonstrative role in the industry. Through product certification, it is easier for consumers to make green purchases. Through consumer choices and market competition, enterprises can be guided to adjust their industrial structure, adopt clean production processes, and produce low-carbon products that benefit the environment.