Despite the availability of clean technology, the majority of the 1,500 billion bricks used each year are produced using polluting kilns.
Traditional brick production methods, in which clay bricks are fired using coal, wood or other biomass materials, are still commonly found in parts of Asia and Latin America. These methods are inefficient, requiring a lot of energy and top soil, and pose an important threat to health and the environment through the large amounts of particulate matter, black carbon, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and other pollutants they release into the atmosphere.
The mitigation potential in the sector is significant, with recent estimates showing that switching to more efficient technologies, mainly during brick firing, can reduce pollutant emissions by more than 90% (IIASA GAINS, 2017), depending on the process, scale, and fuel used. These technologies would also bring additional social and economic benefits to brick producers and their communities, including safer working conditions, increased productivity, and improved agricultural yield.
Cleaning up traditional brick production methods requires regional and international coordination as well as greater awareness about the challenges specific to the sector. In 2012, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition launched its Bricks Initiative to support the modernisation of the brick sector, making kilns cleaner and more sustainable, while contributing to local economic development, improved health, and better working conditions.
Coalition partners are working to:
The Coalition’s Bricks Initiative is the only initiative of brick producers, experts, and public policy officials working together to reduce contamination from traditional brick production with the co-benefits of improved health, social, economic and labour conditions, reduced informality, and a general increase in the quality of life for workers and local communities residing at or near traditional brick kilns.
To achieve its objectives, the initiative provides:
The initiative has produced knowledge tools, pulicy guidance tools, brick kiln emission and efficiency standard protocols, and economic analyses to support a transition toward cleaner brick production.
5-year milestones:
Over the last year, the Coalition has increased high-level engagement and developed a robust framework for a multiple benefits pathway approach. Key results from our 11 initiatives are reflected...
This document presents results from the Climate & Clean Air Coalition’s Bricks Initiative reported between July 2016 and June 2017. These results were recorded using the Demonstrating...
Lead Partner: A Coalition partner with an active role in coordinating, monitoring and guiding the work of an initiative.
Implementer: A Coalition partner or actor receiving Coalition funds to implement an activity or initiative.
Within the framework of the Brick Initiative of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), and the activities of the Public Policy Network of Latin America for the Clean Production of Bricks (PAN...
Within the framework of the Brick Initiative of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), and of the activities of the Public Policy Network of Latin America for the Clean Production of Bricks (...
The adopted State Environmental Standard NAE-SEMADET-002/2018 establishes the technical criteria and specifications for the location, and operation of ceramic producing units in the State of...
Federation of Nepal Brick Industries (FNBI) in association with MinErgy Pvt. Ltd. Nepal, with support from Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain...
Federation of Nepal Brick Industries (FNBI) in association with MinErgy Pvt. Ltd. Nepal, with support from Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain...
Federation of Nepal Brick Industries (FNBI) in association with MinErgy Pvt. Ltd. Nepal, with support from Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain...
The training programmes are part of the ‘Training and Technology Delivery’ component of the brick initiative of CCAC which envisages establishment of several training and technology delivery nodes...