Cement, China

Cement is the most produced material on Earth after water, and China made about 1,900 Mt of it in 2024, close to half the world total that USGS estimates at 4,100 Mt. That share is the legacy of decades of intensive building and an industrial base with no equivalent. Cement travels poorly over long distances, so direct dependence stays regional; but China weighs on clinker prices, kiln technology and the sector's carbon footprint, cement accounting for about 7 to 8% of global CO2 emissions.