Cement Association of Canada applauds Ontario government's commitment to support industries in phasing out coal use

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 7, 2020 /CNW/ - The Cement Association of Canada (CAC) applauds the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, and the Honourable Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, for prioritizing support of Ontario industries' efforts to reduce and phase out the use of coal as part of the government's Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan.

"Our industry has consistently advocated regulatory measures facilitating the transition from fossil fuels to low or zero carbon fuels from materials otherwise going to landfill as a cornerstone of reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) from cement manufacturing," says Michael McSweeney, President and CEO of the Cement Association of Canada.

"Regulatory changes that remove barriers to this transition will, over time, allow the Ontario cement sector to eliminate significant GHG emissions – over one megatonne in the next five years alone – as our cement plants implement new technologies. Equally important, diverting waste products from landfills will dramatically reduce landfill emissions, significantly magnifying the benefit of these measures in the fight against climate change," adds McSweeney. 

After pursuing efforts to reduce coal in the production of cement for over a decade, the Cement Association of Canada is pleased to hear the Honourable Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, say the following: "As part of our government's Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan commitment to lower greenhouse gas emissions and meet our 2030 target, we are committed to finishing the phase out of coal by working together with Ontario industry and supporting their efforts to reduce and phase out the use of coal."

About the Cement Association of Canada

The Cement Association of Canada is the voice of Canada's cement manufacturers. The industry provides a reliable domestic supply of cement required to build Canada's communities and critical infrastructure and is committed to the environmentally responsible manufacturing of cement. In Ontario, the cement and concrete sector contributes 54,000 jobs and over $25 billion dollars to the economy. 

SOURCE Cement Association of Canada