The World Cement Association (WCA) concluded its Ninth General Assembly (GA), held virtually on July 21. The GA brought together representatives from WCA Member organizations to review the association’s achievements over the past year, approve key resolutions and discuss priorities for the year ahead.
The GA opened with welcome remarks from WCA President Wei Rushan, who highlighted the WCA’s 10th anniversary and paid tribute to the association’s founding vision of creating the world’s first international organization dedicated exclusively to the cement industry. Looking ahead, Rushan described the WCA’s first decade as an important milestone and encouraged members to continue working together to address the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
“A decade is a milestone, not an ending point,” Rushan said. “As one of the oldest building materials in human civilization, cement is still evolving and innovating today. I look forward to continuing our journey together. Let the WCA not only witness the history of our industry, but also create a better future.”
Members also reviewed the association’s activities over the past year and approved the resolutions presented during the GA. The WCA announced the re-election of board directors:
- Mohamed Naciri (general manager of CIMAT)
- Teng Yongjun (chairman of Shandong Shanshui Cement Group)
- Peter Hsu (vice president, board member of Asia Cement Corp.)
- Hoggui Mohammed Laid (CEO of Spa Biskria Cement)
In addition, WCA welcomed Rizki Kresno Edhie Hambali (president director of PT. Solusi Bangun Indonesia Tbk) as a newly appointed director.
The appointments were agreed in unanimous vote at the GA.
The event followed with two insightful presentations from leading industry experts. Jim O’Brien from CSR Consulting presented on “Tracking Industry Sustainability Indicators to 2030 and Beyond.”
Drawing on decades of industry experience, O’Brien explored how benchmarking and consistent sustainability indicators can help measure progress, identify best practice and accelerate the industry’s transition toward a more sustainable future.
Commenting on the importance of benchmarking, O’Brien said, “From a lifetime in the industry, I’ve seen first-hand the value of how benchmarking performance drives continuous improvement. When companies can measure themselves against best practice, they gain both the insight and impulse to do better.”
Xuwei Jiao from CBMI Construction Co. Ltd. shared a technical presentation on “Scaling Up LC3: CBMI Project Delivery Experience and Lab-to-Pilot Capabilities.”
The presentation examined the practical challenges of scaling Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) technologies from laboratory development to commercial implementation, drawing on CBMI’s engineering expertise and project delivery experience.
Closing the GA, WCA Secretary General Rong Yakun reaffirmed the association’s commitment to its founding principles of independence, inclusiveness and collaboration, highlighting its continued expansion in membership, professional committees and member services.
