The Federacion Interamericana Del Cemento (FICEM) and the American Concrete Institute (ACI) recently completed an addendum to their International Partner Agreement which calls for a joint effort to achieve carbon neutrality in the concrete/cement sector.

The efforts of FICEM and ACI will be propelled through NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon-Neutral Concrete (NEU), whose mission is to provide access to technologies and the knowledge needed to effectively and safely produce and place carbon-neutral concrete in the built environment. The expanded agreement will encourage cooperation in areas of joint events, industry partnerships, research, technology acceleration, technical committees, and other related activities.

“FICEM is very pleased to reinforce and expand our partnership with the American Concrete Institute through this updated International Partner Agreement,” said Maria Jose Garcia, Executive Director, FICEM. “This agreement reaffirms FICEM’s role in promoting the sustainable development of cement-based construction systems and highlights both organizations’ commitment to achieving a carbon-neutral industry.”

In 2019, FICEM and ACI completed an International Partner Agreement to exchange the technical expertise of each organization through publications, meetings, conferences, internet links, committee membership, certification activities, and other activities. An international agreement between concrete-related organizations that are committed to cooperation, coordination, and collaboration is a critical step in the effort to develop a worldwide unified concrete community of equal partners.

“The Institute is eager to expand this partnership with FICEM and we look forward to members of both organizations carrying on technical exchange and collaboration through committee activities, development of education products, and more,” said Charles K. Nmai, President, ACI. “This agreement aligns with ACI’s strategic goal to provide resources for concrete professionals globally and to effectively meet the demands of a changing world.”