A new report from the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) warns that the European Union’s current regulatory approach could unintentionally block some of the cleanest cement technologies from entering the single market, despite their commercial availability and significant emissions‑reduction potential.
The report, titled “CEMENT IT BETTER,” argues that the EU is placing disproportionate emphasis on carbon capture and storage (CCS) as the primary pathway for decarbonising cement production. According to the authors, this strategy overlooks a wide range of lower‑cost, readily deployable alternatives that could deliver substantial emissions cuts today.
Outdated Standards Limiting Market Access
The EEB’s analysis highlights that Europe’s most immediate opportunity to reduce cement emissions lies in lowering clinker content — the carbon‑intensive ingredient responsible for most of the sector’s process emissions. The report finds that scaling existing solutions such as cement blending, clinker substitution, circular materials, and resource efficiency could reduce emissions by up to 40% using technologies already in commercial use.
More advanced innovations, including low‑carbon binders and clinker‑free cements, could achieve reductions of 70% or more when paired with renewable energy.
However, the report states that many of these products cannot currently access the EU market because European cement standards still define cement by its recipe rather than its environmental performance. As a result, several commercially available low‑carbon cements cannot be certified or used at scale.
Concerns Over EU Policy Direction
The report also raises concerns that upcoming EU initiatives — including the Industrial Accelerator Act, public procurement reforms, and investment frameworks — may reinforce CCS as the default decarbonisation pathway. The EEB notes that CCS projects in Europe have historically faced cost overruns, delays, and underperformance, citing data from the International Energy Agency’s CCUS project database.
Jai Krishna, Senior Policy Officer for Industrial Production at the EEB, said the EU risks sidelining viable alternatives if policy frameworks continue to prioritise CCS.
“Europe is preparing to create lead markets for low‑carbon concrete, but its rules risk locking out some of the cleanest solutions already available,” Krishna said. “Near‑zero and clinker‑free cements are being produced commercially in Europe today, yet many cannot access the single market because standards still protect traditional recipes instead of rewarding environmental performance. If low‑carbon cement quotas only recognise carbon capture pathways, Europe risks excluding the very innovations it should be scaling.”
Background: Cement’s Emissions Challenge
Cement production accounts for roughly 4% of EU industrial emissions, largely due to the chemical transformation of limestone during clinker production. Because around 60% of cement emissions come from this process, CCS has often been presented as the primary long‑term solution.
The EEB report argues that Europe can significantly reduce emissions before carbon capture is required by transforming how cement is produced and used. Key measures include:
- Reducing clinker content through substitution with alternative materials
- Scaling low‑carbon binders that avoid clinker entirely
- Using recycled construction materials as circular feedstocks
- Improving material efficiency and designing longer‑lasting buildings
According to the report, existing solutions could reduce emissions by up to 50% at near‑zero additional cost, while further innovation could deliver deeper cuts. Some advanced low‑carbon cements already achieve 70–75% reductions and have been used in major projects such as the Athletes’ Village for the 2024 Summer Olympics and infrastructure linked to the Grand Paris Express.
A Critical Moment for Europe’s Cement Transition
With more than 30% of EU cement production capacity expected to require major reinvestment by 2030, the EEB argues that Europe faces a pivotal opportunity to shift toward cleaner production models.
The report concludes that the EU’s cement transition will depend less on technological breakthroughs and more on removing regulatory barriers that prevent existing low‑carbon solutions from scaling.
“The cement transition is ready to move,” the report states. “Europe now needs to open the door.”
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Read more here: https://eeb.org/en/eu-risks-locking-low-carbon-cements-out-of-the-single-market-new-report-warns/
Photo by Chris LeBoutillier on Unsplash
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