Decarbonization of cement sector and other industries requires strengthening of the regulatory and policy ecosystem, innovative technologies to replace carbon-intensive cement and reliable and affordable alternate energy sources like waste to energy to offset carbon emissions from cement supply chain. These were the recommendations stressed by experts at a special guest lecture on “Charting the course of Decarbonization Driver’s on Pakistan’s Cement Industry” with Ahsan Anis, Chief Operating Officer, of Power Cement Limited. The event was jointly organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED), said a press release. Speaking at the session, Ahsan Anis, Chief Operating Officer, of Power Cement Limited apprised about the decarbonization initiatives being taken by Power Cement including a FLSmidth plant with 7700 tonnes/day production capacity since 2020 to increase efficiency, investment in solar, wind, and waste-to-energy power generation for sustainable, clean and affordable energy supply. He stressed that the country has immense energy generation potential from agriculture and general waste but ends up being dumped in landfills or burned due to weak segregation mechanisms at source, lack of awareness, technological backwardness and lack of political will and incentives for private sector to encourage energy generation. Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Executive Director, SDPI stressed strengthening regulatory and policy support mechanisms to facilitate decarbonization in not just cement but other sectors producing the construction materials, and industrial input. Achieving this transformation necessitates coordination of stakeholders throughout the value chain to formulate an inclusive roadmap for potential pathways and strategic plans and policies, he added. The medium-term development framework emphasizes environmental sustainability and protection and provincial governments steering industrial decarbonization action. Highlighting the barriers hindering cement sector’s decarbonization Dr Ankita Gangotra, Associate Industrial Innovation, Climate Program at World Resources Institute emphasized on creating awareness on clinker substitution, establishing performance standards to steer decarbonization of cement sector.