Cement producer Afrisam announced the introduction of a carbon dioxide (CO₂) rating stamp on Friday, which will appear on every bag of cement that the company sells.

The CO₂ rating stamp will show exactly how many kilograms of CO₂ were emitted for the production of each 1-kg bag of cement.

This CO₂ footprint worksheet, developed for each main Afrisam cement product, is an industry first in South Africa.

"We are cognisant of the fact that our product contributes greatly to issues surrounding global warming and the environment, but cement remains an essential commodity, probably one of the top three commodities in the world," said Afrisam COO of cement operations Stephan Olivier at the initiative launch at its Ulco cement production facility in the North West province.

"The environment remains one of our biggest concerns, and we aim to improve our efficiencies and lower our emissions by 2% every year."

The initiative is based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocols developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Currently, the world average emission of CO₂ for every 1 kg of cement is 890 g as per Cembureau.

The model, developed by Afrisam, takes specific types of direct and indirect emissions into account during the production process, including the effects of interplant transportation.

The emission calculations and summations are based on a cradle-to-gate approach, where the gate represents the point at which the cement is sold.

In the cement manufacturing process, about 60% of the emitted CO₂ is from the process, which includes the decarbonation of limestone, and 40% from fuels. Interplant transportation emissions come into play where cement is processed at more than one facility.

The bags will carry a CO₂ thermometer insignia indicating emissions in comparison to the world average.

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