[CemExec] Howard Klee, WBCSD (Part 1 of 2)

CW: In relation to the global business model, can you give a few examples of which policies you are currently assessing?

HK: The biggest global issue faced by all cement producers today is dealing with their CO2 emissions and their impact on climate change.  This is an issue that affects every company in every country, as the world begins to grapple with building a low carbon economy.

The CSI has put much of its recent efforts into building a suite of management tools: CO2 inventories; a global database of cement kiln energy and emissions performance; and a new Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) methodology for projects in developing countries (now being reviewed and hopefully approved by the CDM Executive Board in Bonn).  As discussed briefly above, we have also developed and proposed a new approach to international policy to tackle global warming, called a Sectoral Approach.  We think this Approach could help the cement industry, and other energy intensive industries make a more efficient and more rapid response to managing their emissions.

CW:  It has been great to learn more about your and the WBCSD initiative's efforts to further Sustainable Development. These are such important efforts and it is clearly going to be a central topic for the industry going forward. CemWeek looks forward to presenting the second part of the discussion in our next CemExec feature.