Gopee-Scoon hails low-carbon cement

MINISTER of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon applauded Trinidad Cement Limited's (TCL's) introduction of its low carbon ECO Cement, in a statement on Friday.

"The ECO Cement brand is just as durable as the regular cement and can be used in all construction activities, including foundations, piling, suspended slabs, pavements, driveways, industrial floors and other general uses. It is a result of one and half years of research and development with an investment of $500,000."

She said for many years climate change mitigation has been a priority of TCL's majority shareholder, CEMEX, which has set an aggressive target to lower carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 40 per cent by 2030 and to be a net-zero CO2 Company by 2050.

"The new low carbon ECO Cement is a step in that direction and has achieved the CEMEX Vertua seal which is the company’s global standard for products offering a reduction in carbon emissions of approximately 15-40 per cent during production."

Saying cement accounts for about seven per cent of global carbon emissions, the minister applauded this strategic initiative by TCL to do its part in the fight against climate change.

"This achievement dovetails well with Trinidad and Tobago’s climate change mitigation agenda in keeping with the key tenets of the Paris Agreement.

"The Government in February 2018 ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change with a national target of facilitating the reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the power, transport, and industrial sectors by 15 per cent by 2030 which equates to a reduction of 103 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent."

Gopee-Scoon encouraged manufactures to utilise government incentives and grants for research and development. She said ExporTT provides a Research and Development Facility which offers up to $1 million to stimulate and support investment in new and advanced technology and innovation for enterprises in the non-energy manufacturing and services sectors.

She added, "Recently announced in this year’s budget is also the research and development capital allowance which offers up to 40 per cent of expenditure incurred, in calculating taxable profits, which will take effect January 2022 and be reviewed after three years."