Navigating the Net Zero Transition and CBAM’s Impact, Marta Diez Dominguez, Country Manager for IBERIA & Italy at CFP Energy presented at Cementitious Materials Congress Americas next week in Atlanta.
As governments tighten regulations and corporate sustainability commitments grow, large organizations must take decisive action toward net zero. Major reforms to the EU and UK Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS) and the introduction of cross border carbon tariffs are changing the way industry has to manage carbon compliance exposure, either through a reduction in free allocation or new import costs.
The presentation explores the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and its implications for the cement and construction industry, alongside broader regulatory shifts shaping the net zero transition. CBAM is an embedded carbon cost on imports of certain products but is also changing the way carbon leakage is managed for EU operators. Companies that act early— leveraging market-based mechanisms and solutions that mitigate carbon price risk — will be best positioned to manage risks and seize opportunities in this evolving landscape.
However, CBAM’s impact extends beyond Europe. Businesses in the USA who are exporting to the EU may face new compliance obligations, additional costs, and potential competitive disadvantages if they do not account for embedded carbon in their products.
About the Speaker
Marta Diez is a sustainability, climate, and low-carbon economy specialist, as well as the Environmental Market Consultant and Country Manager for IBERIA & Italy at CFP Energy, based in Greater London.
She is an environmental markets expert with solid expertise in carbon markets, environmental commodities, and market-driven sustainability strategies. Marta supports companies in the Iberian Peninsula and Italy as they navigate the EU ETS and voluntary carbon markets, helping them understand their direct and indirect carbon risk exposure to maintain a competitive edge in a decarbonising global economy.
Her consulting work spans risk management, procurement, and EU funding, with a focus on empowering clients to reduce CO₂ emissions and leverage the growth of renewable energy.
Marta also serves as a Board Member and Sustainability Chair at the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain. She has played a key role in launching the Chamber’s Sustainability Committee, strengthening ties between Anglo-Spanish businesses. She actively manages relationships with the British Embassy and is an advocate within European associations for both compliance and voluntary carbon markets.
Sustainability in Concrete Bridges: Exploring the Impact of SCM Limits by Dr. Leo Emmenegger, Consultant, Exponent
State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) reveals significant variability in the allowable SCM content. To quantify the potential impact of each state’s maximum allowable SCM content on the bridge mixes’ sustainability, the global warming potential (GWP) for representative mixes complying with each state’s specifications was calculated. The results indicate that states imposing stricter limits on SCM content may be missing an opportunity to lower the carbon footprint of their new concrete bridges. Finally, some of the prescriptive limits on the mix design composition in the reviewed bridge specifications pose a challenge in deploying innovative, and potentially more durable, materials for new infrastructure projects.
About the Speaker
Dr. Leo Emmenegger specializes in analyzing and predicting the deterioration of civil infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, and airports from the perspective of concrete material science, corrosion engineering, and civil engineering. Since joining Exponent as a forensics consultant, Dr. Emmenegger has been involved in numerous matters including construction defect litigation, structural failure analysis, extreme event claims, codes and standards compliance research, and personal injury disputes.
Some notable cases he has worked on include a concrete failure and construction defect dispute at an environmental facility, the failure of a metal building under extreme weather conditions, and litigation arising from contested curing practices and quality assurance testing per FAA regulations at an airport. In addition, he also has experience with building envelope investigations (water intrusion, façade anchorage, etc.), structural foundation movement from expansive soils, and construction repair cost disputes.
Concrete Industry Programs Focused on Improving Performance and Sustainability by Brian M. Killingsworth, P.E., Executive Vice President, Local Paving, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA)
The concrete industry has long invested to enhance system performance, become more resilient, and impact climate change. Both the cement and concrete industry have carbon neutrality targets and are guided by a roadmap to reach this goal by 2050. Research at the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub and the Concrete Advancement Foundation as well as investments made by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association are all working together to advance the ability of concrete to meet the challenges facing the built environment, now and into the future. This presentation will highlight these activities and demonstrate how this complex puzzle is coming together for the common good.
About the Speaker
Mr. Killingsworth is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BS and MS in Civil Engineering specializing in pavement design, materials and construction. For nearly 20 years, Mr. Killingsworth worked in private pavement consulting conducting research projects for national, state and local entities. He also conducted numerous pavement designs for new and rehabilitated pavements, implemented pavement management systems, and conducted pavement forensic evaluations.
For NRMCA, Mr. Killingsworth heads the Local Paving Division which provides promotional and technical support as well as education to member companies, affiliate associations, and local owners and designers regarding concrete pavement designs, specifying materials, or construction issues. Support primarily includes the street and local road and parking lot markets and includes new pavements as well as the rehabilitation of older pavements. Mr. Killingsworth also represents NRMCA before organizations that develop codes and standards for pavements and also monitors and provides input to sustainability standards for roads and infrastructure.
Find out more about the future of building sustainably. Discover the latest in cement industry innovations, best practices, and decarbonization efforts at our upcoming events – join us to shape a greener world!
Dive into our calendar of events, featuring CarbonZero Global Conference and Exhibition: Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials 2025 taking place in October in Bucharest, Romania; Women in CemCo International Congress Americas 2025, taking place in April in Atlanta, USA and
Women in CemCo International Congress EMEA 2025, taking place in October in Bucharest, Romania; Cementitious Materials International Congress Americas 2025, taking place in April in Atlanta, USA and Cementitious Materials International Congress EMEA 2025, taking place in June in Cairo, Egypt; and Sustainability and ESG International Summit 2025 taking place in June in Cairo, Egypt.
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