Circular Economy in the Cement Industry: a Systematic Review of Sustainability Assessment and Justice Considerations in Local Community Development

The cement industry contributes significantly to local economies by creating jobs and supporting industries such as healthcare, education and transportation. While cement contributes to development and economic growth, it also poses serious risks to the natural environment and human health. A systematic literature review based on a bibliometric analysis was conducted. The search focused on studies related to the cement and construction industries, circular economy, sustainability approaches, and impacts of cement and concrete. A refined key word search was used to select articles from the Scopus database. This resulted in a final selection of 197 documents that fit the inclusion criteria. While most of the circular economy research studies reviewed offered technical solutions such as optimizing efficient production processes or recycling materials, there were fewer studies that examined the socio-economic and governance dimensions of circular economy practices, hence the knowledge gap. To supplement this, case studies from cement companies globally were reviewed to provide practical solutions that can facilitate the transition to circular economy practices while ensuring social justice considerations for local communities. Reviewed studies found a positive association between presence of cement plants and economic growth of local communities but negative associations between exposure to cement plants, the natural environment and human health. This review highlights the significant need to integrate socio-economic and environmental dimensions into sustainability efforts and inform policymakers about these impacts to develop long-term sustainable practices. Achieving this balance is critical to maximizing benefits and minimizing harm in local communities affected by cement production.