Cement is a major industrial commodity.
Manufactured commercially in at least 120 countries, it is mixed with sand and gravel to make concrete. Concrete is used in the construction of buildings, roads, and other structures, as well as in other products and applications. Its use as a residential building material is particularly important in countries where wood is not traditionally used for building or is in short supply. Annual CO2 emissions from cement production in nine major regions of the world are shown in Figure A below. Large quantities of CO2 are emitted during the production of lime, the key ingredient in cement.