by Katherine Luckman Bahagia

ASEAN is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, expanding at 4,7%–5% annually (Asian Development Bank, 2024). The region’s GDP is projected to grow by 4,7% in 2025, underscoring sustained economic momentum (ASEAN Secretariat, 2025). However, what if its growth story is not only measured in GDP, but also in how it reshapes sustainability for billions of people? What if the very forces driving ASEAN’s rapid expansion, namely its people, its markets, and its innovation, can also power solutions to one of humanity’s greatest crises: climate change?

ASEAN’s rapid transformation has lifted millions out of poverty, but this prosperity comes at a cost. The region’s carbon dioxide emissions have increased twofold since 1990 and are projected to rise by nearly 60% by 2050 if left unchecked (International Energy Agency [IEA], 2022). One of the contributors, cement production, is often overlooked in climate debates, although it contributes up to 7–8% of global CO₂ emissions, making it one of the most carbon-intensive industries (Andrew, 2019). The window for change is closing fast, sharpening the urgency of a critical question: Can ASEAN’s growth become a catalyst for climate innovation rather than its casualty?

Rethinking Cement: The Peal Deal Solution

At the heart of this challenge lies a surprising opportunity: food waste. ASEAN countries generate over 110 million tonnes of food waste each year, much of which ends up in landfills, releasing methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than CO₂ (United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], 2021). “The Peal Deal Cement” is an innovation that turns eggshells and fruit peels into a sustainable binding material for cement.

Research has already explored the use of agricultural and food waste as a partial substitute for cement. For example, eggshell powder has been proven to improve compressive strength when replacing 5–20% of cement (Tan, Doh, & Chin, 2018). Similarly, melon peel ash and orange peel ash have been studied as supplementary cementitious materials, demonstrating positive effects on durability and strength (Bee & Subhasri, 2024; Yusof, Rahman, & Mohd, 2020). However, many of these approaches rely on burning or calcination of peels to produce ash, which still releases additional greenhouse gases during processing. 

This is where ‘the Peal Deal Cement’ stands out. Instead of using the burning method, it uses a sun-drying method before grinding peels into a fine additive, eliminating combustion emissions. By combining circular economy principles with low-energy processing, this approach not only builds on existing research but also pushes sustainability further, making it a more climate-friendly and regionally adaptable solution. 

Why It Matters for ASEAN’s SDGs

‘The Peal Deal Cement’ directly contributes to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) by reducing energy use in the clinker-intensive cement production process and opening possibilities for cleaner energy inputs in materials industries. It aligns with SDG 13 (Climate Action) through significant potential reductions in carbon emissions, and it also connects with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by turning food waste (a major waste stream in ASEAN) into a resource rather than a burden, embodying the circularity of the economic principles.

ASEAN’s urbanization boom makes this particularly critical because nearly 50% of ASEAN’s population is predicted to live in cities by 2030 (ASEAN Secretariat, 2020). This means that demands for infrastructure will rise sharply, and embedding greener construction materials can ensure that new buildings and infrastructure are less carbon-intensive, contributing to long-term climate resilience and energy savings. Moreover, reducing dependence on traditional high-emission cement can help national governments meet their NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) under the Paris Agreement.

Challenges and the Way Forward 

Scaling ‘The Peal Deal Cement’ faces technological challenges as construction materials must meet rigorous strength, durability, and safety standards. While more sustainable, the sun-drying methods may face issues in humid and rainy climates, requiring careful testing across different ASEAN environments. Pilot projects will be essential to prove reliability, optimize peel content, and ensure the material performs consistently without compromising its safety. 

Environmental policies must also evolve to support the adoption of the idea. Governments can encourage the uptake by offering incentives such as tax breaks, subsidies, or procurement preferences for using sustainable materials. Updating building codes to recognize non-traditional cement formulations is critical, and a greater investment in R&D is also needed to refine the processing methods. 

Investment remains another hurdle. Establishing infrastructure and testing systems requires upfront capital, making public-private partnerships and blended finance models particularly important. Access to climate finance funds can also help de-risk investments and speed up scale-up. 

Finally, building awareness and trust among industry players and consumers is key. The construction sector is traditionally risk-averse, so education campaigns and demonstration projects will help showcase performance, cost savings, and environmental benefits. By clearly communicating its advantages, ‘the Peal Deal Cement’ can gain the credibility that is needed to move from pilot projects into mainstream use. 

Ethical Considerations

Equity must be central. ‘The Peal Deal Cement’ must be affordable and accessible to lower-income communities, not just for rich people. The benefits of this initiative must be shared fairly among regions where the supply of food waste is commonly abundant. Partnerships with local cooperatives and municipalities can ensure that communities supplying food waste are not exploited. Instead, they receive incentives or benefits in the form of community development in return. Workers in conventional cement industries must also be supported through retraining or transition programs, preventing job loss and economic displacement. Equity in transition means anticipating the disruptions and providing pathways into new green jobs.

Another ethical dimension lies in transparency and safety. Communities have the right to know the environmental and health impacts of new materials. Rigorous testing must be communicated openly to build trust, especially among vulnerable populations. If The Peal Deal Cement is marketed as a green solution, its environmental claims must be backed by credible, peer-reviewed evidence and verified life cycle assessments. Avoiding “greenwashing” is essential to maintaining both ethical and scientific integrity.

As a final point, the environmental benefits must be translated into tangible social benefits, especially for communities most affected by climate change and pollution. These community groups often bear the greatest burden of the temperature rise, flooding, and air quality deterioration. By ensuring that cleaner construction materials are deployed first in vulnerable areas, such as flood-prone neighborhoods or informal settlements, ‘the Peal Deal Cement’ can position itself not just as a technological solution, but also as a tool for climate justice. Embedding inclusivity and accountability into its rollout will ensure that the innovation uplifts rather than divides.

Building Tomorrow, Sustainably

The climate crisis demands not just incremental change but bold, circular innovations. ‘The Peal Deal Cement’ shows that solutions can emerge from unexpected places, like the peels of yesterday’s meals. By scaling such innovations, ASEAN countries can turn their waste into walls, their challenges into opportunities, and their growth into stories of sustainability. Thus, to secure its future, ASEAN countries must invest in innovations that make their growth compatible with the climate goals. The time has come to build not just for today, but for generations to come.