CEMBUREAU publishes an update of its Net Zero Roadmap

CEMBUREAU published its Net Zero Roadmap update, on 21 May 2024, outlining the European cement sector’s climate ambition along the cement and concrete value chain. The new update include CO₂ carbon reduction targets for 2040.

The roadmap update looks at the progress achieved since the publication of CEMBUREAU’s carbon neutrality roadmap in May 2020. In light of the significant decarbonisation projects ongoing throughout the EU industry, it revisits the sector’s ambition as follows: 
 • By 2030, the roadmap projects a 37 per cent reduction in CO₂ emissions related to cement production, and 50 per cent down the value chain.
• By 2040, it targets a 78 per cent reduction on cement, and 93 per cent down the value chain.  
• By 2050, the roadmap projects net zero cement production in Europe, and looks at the potential to become carbon negative over the value chain. 

“In the past four years, the European cement sector has clearly moved from ambition to deployment. We have the potential to scale up our climate ambition, but we need policymakers to match this ambition through decisive policies ” says Ken McKnight, president of CEMBUREAU. 

The roadmap also highlights that key policy measures which are indispensable to meet this ambition, including: 
• the implementation of a watertight Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• the ramping up financial support to support decarbonisation investments
• the need for guaranteed access to affordable decarbonised energy, infrastructure and raw materials
• the creation of lead markets for low-carbon, circular products. 

Koen Coppenholle, chief executive at CEMBUREAU, also claimed that the European cement industry would be funding EUR80-100bn into the EU-ETS by 2034 and the association would like to see 75 per cent of it being front-loaded into the funding of cement industry decarbonisation projects.