DOI: 10.32725/978-80-7694-102-1.22

Inproforum 2024 (vol. 18):155-159 | DOI: 10.32725/978-80-7694-102-1.22

Sustainability and Efficiency in Iraq's Cement Factories

Abdulsattar Mawlood

Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Faculty of Management and Economics (FaME), Mostní 5139, 760 01 Zlín, Czech Republic

Currently, the cement industry is responsible for approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions and as such faces severe environmental constraints despite its importance for infrastructure development. Manufacturing of cement, including in the Republic of Iraq, will have a significant role to play in post-conflict economic recovery. Profiling of strategic management practices to improve sustainability and efficiency in the cement factories of Iraq: A focus group study to assess the level of implementation of sustainability practices and their associations with operational efficiency (e.g., CO2 emissions reduction, energy usage). This study used a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative analysis of data from 19 cement factories and qualitative interviews with key decision-makers. Quantitative data was collected on sustainability performance, energy outcomes, emissions, and operational efficiency, while qualitative insights were provided through semi-structured interviews exploring participants' attitudes towards sustainability as well as barriers to strategic implementation. The potential prevalent usage of waste management systems (100%), energy efficiency measures (79%), and alternative fuel usage (63%) is shown in the results. There are water conservation strategies in only 37% of factories. Improved energy efficiency was highly correlated (r = 0.72) with the adoption of sustainability practices. Manufacturers that continued investing in energy-saving features, such as heat recovery systems and alternative fuels, are now using significantly less electricity and producing fewer greenhouse gases per manufactured unit. While these sustainable practices are meant to clear a path for improvements regarding environmental and operational outcomes, challenges exist in the forms of high implementation costs and lack of technical expertise that hinder worldwide adoption. There needs to be a concerted effort between key players in industry and government to tackle these problems head-on if Iraq's cement industry is to remain sustainable for the long term.

Klíčová slova: Cement industry, sustainability practices, energy efficiency, strategic management, Iraq.

Zveřejněno: 11. leden 2025  Zobrazit citaci