SREF Launches Blend Better Cement Campaign to Reduce Emissions
News related to:The Sustainable Real Estate Forum · 3 min read
NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The Sustainable Real Estate Forum (SREF) has concluded its inaugural Climate Week NYC programme, bringing together government leaders, investors, lenders, and asset managers to discuss how to translate climate ambition into actionable decisions for capital. The event, which took place from September 22 to 23, featured a diverse range of speakers and case studies, all focused on the critical need for evidence to support climate-focused investments.
The programme began with an opening keynote by Ambassador Antônio Francisco da Costa e Silva Neto, who served as the Co-chair of the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC) and Chief International Advisor for Brazil’s Ministry of Cities. Ambassador da Costa e Silva Neto emphasized the importance of turning climate ambition into practical delivery that is economically viable and socially inclusive. He highlighted Brazil’s national housing programs, which aim to address a deficit of 5.7 million households by pairing affordability with clean energy, including solar in more than 500,000 low-income homes.
The Sustainable Real Estate Forum (SREF) launched the Blend Better Cement campaign at the event. This global initiative, led by UNEP, the GlobalABC, and the ICBC, aims to scale blended cement, a technology that can reduce emissions by 50% compared to ordinary cement, while maintaining comparable strength and durability. The campaign has gained traction with recent endorsements from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Cambodia, Uganda, and Ghana, which have joined the ICBC’s Call to Action on Blended Cement, advocating for policy measures such as prioritizing blended cement in public procurement and updating national standards.
During the forum, Heidelberg Materials, a leading cement company, unveiled its new calcined clay plant in Ghana, demonstrating how the country’s performance-based building code and green finance initiatives are creating demand for lower-carbon cement solutions. Ambassador da Costa e Silva (Brazil’s Ministry of Cities) and Philippe Deprédurand (France’s Ministry of Ecological Transition) also spoke about the potential of blended cement in their respective countries.
On the second day of the forum, the keynote was delivered by Roland Hunziker, who served as the Co-chair of the GlobalABC and Director of the Built Environment at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Hunziker framed the day around the goal of raising electricity’s share of global energy use from 21% to 35% by 2035, emphasizing the importance of efficiency and a stronger business case for modernizing assets. He argued that buildings, which already consume around half the world’s electricity, are set to increase demand, necessitating modernization.
The Sustainable Real Estate Forum (SREF) also hosted a panel discussion on the Trillion Dollar Housing Transition, where panellists discussed the availability of capital for the housing sector and the need for clearer investment signals and defensible decisions. Jeff Rupp, Director of Public Affairs at INREV, highlighted the importance of lenders assessing borrowers’ transition plans and warned that physical risks, local permitting, and a shrinking construction workforce are as significant as regulation. He emphasized the need to act on no-regret measures rather than waiting for perfect data.
The forum also featured presentations on climate technology at work, including how AI process control and optimisation are being used by Gigaton to reduce costs and CO2 emissions from cement production. Jonathan Gritz of WellStat showcased how real-time energy data can unlock significant cost reduction opportunities, while Evan Petkov of Optiml explained how decision intelligence helps managers make defensible decarbonisation and capital allocation decisions.
Closing the forum, Ambassador Antônio Francisco da Costa e Silva Neto (ICBC Co-chair and Chief International Advisor, Brazilian Ministry of Cities) argued that governments are judged by the outcomes they deliver, not just the goals they set. He urged governments to ensure that rules are clear, data is credible, and pipelines are real, to attract investment.
The Sustainable Real Estate Forum (SREF) plans to continue its work with its next programme, the IQ-EQ × SREF Powering Intelligence Summit in London on November 3. For invitations to future events, new research, and the Trillion Dollar Housing Transition white paper, interested parties can join the SREF newsletter at www.sustainablerealestateforum.com/join-newsletter.