China is by far the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide from the manufacture of cement. In 2022, China’s cement industry released 763 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO₂) into the atmosphere. This was roughly five times more than the emissions produced in India.
Cement’s carbon footprint
Cement is a hugely important substance used in the production of concrete – the second most consumed material behind water. However, it is also incredibly energy-intensive due to the extreme heat required to produce it. Although cement production has somewhat leveled off in recent years, it remains a major source of global emissions.
Cement production emissions in China have soared
As the largest cement producer worldwide, it comes as no surprise that China is the biggest emitter within the sector. China’s cement production emissions have increased more than nine-fold since 1990 as a result of the country’s rapid economic growth. The East Asian nation now accounts for nearly 50 percent of global cement emissions.
Carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacture of cement worldwide in from 1990 to 2022, by select country
(in million metric tons)
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Global Carbon Project. (December 5, 2023). Carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacture of cement worldwide in from 1990 to 2022, by select country (in million metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 01, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1091672/carbon-dioxide-emissions-global-cement-manufacturing/
Global Carbon Project. "Carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacture of cement worldwide in from 1990 to 2022, by select country (in million metric tons)." Chart. December 5, 2023. Statista. Accessed September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1091672/carbon-dioxide-emissions-global-cement-manufacturing/
Global Carbon Project. (2023). Carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacture of cement worldwide in from 1990 to 2022, by select country (in million metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1091672/carbon-dioxide-emissions-global-cement-manufacturing/
Global Carbon Project. "Carbon Dioxide Emissions from The Manufacture of Cement Worldwide in from 1990 to 2022, by Select Country (in Million Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 Dec 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1091672/carbon-dioxide-emissions-global-cement-manufacturing/
Global Carbon Project, Carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacture of cement worldwide in from 1990 to 2022, by select country (in million metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1091672/carbon-dioxide-emissions-global-cement-manufacturing/ (last visited September 01, 2024)
Carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacture of cement worldwide in from 1990 to 2022, by select country (in million metric tons) [Graph], Global Carbon Project, December 5, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1091672/carbon-dioxide-emissions-global-cement-manufacturing/