The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has welcomed today’s publication of the independent Skidmore Review of the UK’s net zero carbon delivery by 2050.
The Review makes a strong case for Government to generate certainty and confidence for businesses to invest in decarbonisation. That’s critical for the UK mineral products industry that each year produces 400 million tonnes of essential materials that underpin economic and social development.
MPA responded to the Review’s consultation and also contributed to the Energy Intensive Users Group submission – making key points on issues including Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms, CCUS (carbon capture, usage and storage) clusters and dispersed sites, transport and planning – and these have been taken on board in the Review.
The energy-intensive sectors represented by MPA – cement and lime – will have substantial investment requirements in new technology including CCUS and potentially hydrogen fuel, to meet net zero and the Review urges the Government to create the right conditions to invest in such technologies.
And for all mineral products – including the aggregates, concrete, asphalt and industrial minerals – the Review argues for a proper net zero strategy for Non-Road Mobile Machinery, which would support the decarbonisation of large-scale quarrying equipment such as excavators and dump trucks.
Dr Diana Casey, Director of Energy and Climate Change at MPA, said: “The report published today has acknowledged many of the key barriers facing our sector as it transitions to net zero and the actions proposed to start addressing these barriers is welcome.
“It is now up to Government to take up these actions and face head-on the challenges around funding, infrastructure and competitiveness so that UK industry has the certainty, continuity, clarity and consistency required to realise the investment needed. MPA looks forward to working with BEIS, the Treasury and other Government departments on addressing these challenges and delivering the suggested actions.”
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About the Mineral Products Association:
The Mineral Products Association (MPA) is the trade association for the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and silica sand industries. With the merger of British Precast, and affiliation of the British Association of Reinforcement (BAR), the British Calcium Carbonate Federation, the Cement Admixtures Assocation (CAA), CONSTRUCT, Eurobitume, MPA Northern Ireland, MPA Scotland and the UK Quality Ash Association (UKQAA), it has a growing membership of 520 companies and is the sectoral voice for mineral products. MPA membership is made up of the vast majority of independent SME quarrying companies throughout the UK, as well as the 9 major international and global companies. It covers 100% of UK cement and lime production, 90% of GB aggregates production, 95% of asphalt and over 70% of ready-mixed concrete and precast concrete production. In 2018, the industry supplied £16 billion worth of materials and services to the Economy. It is also the largest supplier to the construction industry, which had annual output valued at £172 billion in 2018. Industry production represents the largest materials flow in the UK economy and is also one of the largest manufacturing sectors.
For media enquiries, contact Elizabeth Clements at: Elizabeth.Clements@mineralproducts.org.