Low-carbon cement company Ecocem has announced the appointment Pat Cox, former president and member of the European Parliament (MEP) and former member of the Dáil, as chair of Ecocem Group.

Cox’s commitment to and passion for sustainability are evidenced by his experience. He is chair of the Finance Green Ireland Committee, is chairing the inaugural Dublin Climate Dialogues this year, and is also chair of the Gore Street Energy Storage Fund – the first listed fund for grid scale battery storage by the London Stock Exchange. 

Pat Cox, chair of Ecocem Group

Commitment to sector

Cox’s roles as a board member of Supernode, an Irish renewables high-tech startup, and Gresham House Ireland further demonstrate his commitment to the sector and strong personal focus on ESG and impact investment.

Ecocem is a pioneer and market leader in low carbon cement technologies working within the circular economy. It provides low carbon technical, environmental, and architectural solutions for the built environment. The cement sector is already developing and deploying a range of carbon reduction technologies.

Ecocem plays a leading role in these efforts, providing wide access to its low carbon technology, and leads the sector in moving to a Paris-compliant, emissions reduction trajectory.

Innovation and new technologies

The Ecocem Group has seen exceptional domestic performance as well as exports to the UK and Europe. In May this year, Ecocem announced the completion of a €22.5 million equity investment by Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) and Breakthrough Energy Ventures-Europe (BEV-E). This investment will enable Ecocem to bring new low-carbon cement technology to the market over the coming years.   

Donal O’Riain, founder and managing director of Ecocem, said: “We are now in a period of major growth for our business as we deploy new low-carbon technology across the cement sector in Europe. We are delighted to have someone of Pat Cox’s experience and commitment to sustainability to chair the Ecocem Board  at such an exciting and challenging time for Ecocem.”

Pat Cox, chair, Ecocem, said: “Concrete, after water, is the most widely used substance on earth. The cement industry globally would, if it was a state, be the third largest carbon dioxide emitter in the world. Ecocem, through its commitment to innovation and new technologies, is determined to make a difference at scale – a quality that makes the privileged engagement of chairmanship a challenging duty consistent with the needs of our times.”