Holcim joins UAE-led Alliance for Industry Decarbonization to accelerate green transformation

Holcim’s operations in the UAE have gone a step further than just cutting emissions at their factories , they’ve recently joined the Alliance for Industry Decarbonization, a government-led group organized by the International Renewable Energy Agency. This partnership, officially announced during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January 2026, puts the building materials giant in a position to influence policy, investments, and technological advancements that will guide the heavy industry’s shift towards greener practices in the region.

From what Holcim shared, the alliance unites various players , including government agencies, international organizations, and industry leaders , to speed up the adoption of low-carbon solutions in sectors that are particularly tough to decarbonize. The company notes that its experience in creating sustainable building materials could be quite useful for AFID discussions on renewable energy, carbon capture, circular materials, green hydrogen, workforce skills, and climate-conscious financing.

“Decarbonizing industry means taking real, practical action on a large scale, and that’s only possible with the right policies in place. Joining AFID allows Holcim to be part of those conversations, bringing in real-world insights based on our experience, so we can help shape a low-carbon future for the UAE,” explained Ali Said, CEO of Holcim UAE and Oman.

This move by Holcim isn’t in isolation. It follows a series of global initiatives that the company has adopted over recent years to incorporate low-carbon strategies into its core operations. For instance, their media releases mention that Holcim was a founding member of the First Movers Coalition, launched at COP26, which aims to boost demand for decarbonized industrial goods and technologies. As part of that mission, Holcim committed to sourcing 30% of its heavy-duty trucks as zero-emission vehicles or on long-term contracts by 2030, and to expand green building solutions to support its 2050 net-zero target, an ambition confirmed by the Science Based Targets initiative.

Holcim has also been focusing on circularity. They became a founding member of the Circularity Task Force under the Sustainable Markets Initiative at COP28 in Dubai. This forum aims to close resource loops and protect natural resources. The company claims it plans to recycle over 10 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste, a target it highlights as key for reducing embodied carbon in buildings.

And beyond just voluntary commitments, Holcim has sunk resources into pilot projects for carbon capture and utilization. Their Carbon2Business project in Germany, for example, received recognition at COP28 for its potential to scale up carbon capture tech, earning awards that praise its innovative approach and possibilities for replication. These projects are showcased in Holcim’s corporate materials as evidence that industrial-scale carbon removal is achievable and could, in the future, be implemented across cement and concrete industries worldwide.

Industry analysts point out that these initiatives, demand-side procurement targets, circular material strategies, and carbon capture pilots, are now weaving into policy debates, as governments develop new regulations and incentives. According to UAE News 247’s coverage of the AFID membership, Holcim’s involvement signals a conscious effort by industry leaders to make technical and commercial realities more visible to policymakers, narrowing what some call the “ambition gap” with actionable pathways.

The alliance’s main focus areas closely match the initiatives Holcim has been pushing forward. Renewable energy is often seen as essential for large-scale low-carbon manufacturing, while green hydrogen and CCUS are frequently mentioned as necessary to tackle process-related emissions in cement production. Circularity targets address the upstream emissions embedded in materials through reuse and recycling. AFID’s multi-stakeholder structure seeks to align regulation, financing, and supply chain capabilities, so these elements develop together smoothly.

Holcim has described its joining of AFID as a way to influence that coordination process. They argue that their operational scale and future project pipeline give them a testing ground for policy measures and realistic timelines for deploying new technologies. But, well, some industry watchers caution that achieving significant impact will depend heavily on how quickly governments send clear signals and whether enough investment is mobilized to support costly technologies that still face high barriers.

The UAE has ramped up its efforts to support industry decarbonization, and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week acts as a key platform for governments and private sector alike to align their goals. The composition of AFID, including governments, businesses, and international agencies, reflects a growing consensus that heavy industry emissions can’t be tackled by just one group. For Holcim, being part of AFID might speed up access to partnerships, pilot opportunities, and blended finance schemes that help spread out the risks of larger projects.

For those involved in sustainable development, construction, and investment in the Gulf region, this move signals a tangible commitment from Holcim to blend corporate goals with broader systemic efforts. Their materials indicate they will keep pushing toward their net-zero roadmap, while also leveraging AFID to help develop policies and financial strategies that enable actual progress.

If industry decarbonization in the UAE is to go beyond pilot projects and become a standard practice, experts agree it will need consistent, long-term regulations and public funding to back up the initiatives. Holcim’s participation in AFID highlights how major suppliers can play a role in shaping those discussions. It remains to be seen whether this involvement will lead to faster rollout of green hydrogen, broader use of recycled aggregates, or larger-scale carbon capture solutions, only time will tell as AFID turns conversations into concrete programs.

Source: Noah Wire Services