Cement production consumes fossil fuels, contributing to about one-third of total carbon emissions of the cement industry. Utilizing waste materials as alternative fuels can reduce emissions, which is a key pathway to achieve the industry’s net-zero goal by 2060. 

China's cement industry has an average alternative fuels utilization rate of less than 5%. While in Germany, alternative fuels account for 74% of the energy consumption in the cement industry. To promote the utilization of alternative fuels, the China Cement Association, GIZ and NRDC organized a China-Germany Cement Industry Workshop on December 17. Experts and representatives from research institutions, cement enterprises and alternative fuels manufactories attended the workshop. The experts from both countries emphasized that a landfill ban combined with a circular economy approach is an effective way for advancing the development of the alternative fuels. 

NRDC and China Cement Association released a report on management mechanisms for the alternative fuels industry. The report analyzes the current regulatory barriers and offers corresponding solutions and recommendations to support faster adoption of alternative fuels by cement enterprises. The report findings were covered by China Energy News, Digital Cement and China Industry News.