Cementing Europe’s future

CEMBUREAU held its ‘Cementing Europe’s Future: Action Through Policy’ webinar on 12 October 2021. Two panel discussions looked at whether the cement industry was ‘Fit for 55 per cent’ carbon reduction by 2030 alongside considering the carbon neutral built environment and the role of concrete within it.

Isidoro Miranda, CEO of Holcim Spain and CEMBUREAU president, opened the meeting stating that the “cement sector was on the move!” He announced that the Green Deal was a starting point of the race towards 2050 decarbonisation and that the cement industry wants to be a positive actor. “The cement industry is willing to work with the EU Commission, but let’s not forget world CO₂ reduction. It’s not only Europe’s challenge to reduce CO₂ emissions,” he added.

Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

Mette Quinn, who heads up the B2 unit of DG CLIMA, the EU’s directorate general (DG) for climate action, outlined that the overall objective of climate law must be to decarbonise by 2050, reducing CO₂ emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 to achieve this.