Egypt: 90% of cement plants have agreed to use coal to increase their cement production, according to Egypt's Industrial Development Authority.

The authority is facilitating plant upgrades to enable coal use and ensuring that the necessary quantities of coal can be supplied, according to the head of the Industrial Development Authority, Ismail Gaber. He added that Egypt needs more than 32Mt/yr of cement to meet the needs of the domestic market.

In light of the population increase, the demand on energy has significantly increased in Egypt in recent years. The government agreed to include coal in the cement industry energy system in April 2014. Prior to that, coal was used only in the iron and steel, coke and aluminium industries. It is now also allowed to be used for electricity and cement production.

Canada: The Metro Vancouver government body is considering sending its refuse as refuse derived fuel (RDF) pellets to the Lehigh Cement plant in Delta. The scheme is one of three new options the body is considering to manage its waste including incinerating it to produce electricity or gasification, according to local media.

"There's no electricity produced, but it would be a benefit because it would result in no increased air emissions. The others (mass burn and gasification) would have new emissions," said Sarah Wellman, project manager of Metro Vancouver's waste-to-energy project, in relation to the cement plant option.

Metro Vancouver is waiting to hear from the provincial government on how to proceed. The area currently generates electricity from the Covanta Burnaby Renewable Energy incineration plant.

Germany/Netherlands: HeidelbergCement has signed a six-year contract extension with waste management company Shanks Group for the supply of its ICOPOWER^® energy pellets.

Under the contract, Icopower, part of Shanks' Solid Waste Division, will supply HeidelbergCement with an increased volume of 54,000t/yr of the pellets, which are derived from commercial waste.

Shanks' production process includes a combination of sorting, drying and pelletising technology. In a statement Shanks said, "Unlike solid recovered fuel (SRF) or refuse derived fuel (RDF), ICOPOWER^® energy pellets are not classified as a waste product in the Netherlands."

India: India's prime minister Narendra Modi has said that he will not bow to foreign pressure to commit to cuts in carbon emissions, instead pledging to use more clean energy and traditional methods to lead the fight against climate change.

India, the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has come under pressure to tackle its rapidly-rising emissions since the US and China committed in November 2014 to start cutting their own emissions after a 'peak year.'

"The world guides us on climate change and we follow them? The world sets the parameters and we follow them? It is not like that," said Modi. "We can lead the world." The Indian government has said that it needs to emit more to industrialise and lift millions out of poverty. While Modi has in the past highlighted the dangers posed by climate change, he has also argued that the world must focus more on clean energy and less on outright emission cuts.

India has set an ambitious target to raise renewable energy generation, but is also expanding the mining of coal, a major contributor to its growing emissions. Modi recently suggested using traditional methods such as switching off street lights on full-moon nights to save energy and cut emissions.

Modi has also accused the world of double standards by lecturing India about the environment, but refusing to sell it the fuel needed for nuclear power. Some countries maintain a ban on selling uranium to India because New Delhi has refused to ratify the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.