15 October 2025 – At its annual event in Brussels today, Cement Europe unveiled the Cement Action Plan, a strategic blueprint designed to secure Europe’s dual ambition: competitiveness and industrial decarbonisation.

Building on the sector’s Net Zero Roadmap, the Cement Action Plan sets out the enabling conditions required for the European cement industry to remain competitive while delivering on its climate ambitions. The Plan responds to the growing dual challenge faced by industry: ensuring a level playing field and restoring the business case for decarbonisation investments.

“The Cement Action Plan sends a clear message. Competitiveness is paramount if we are to succeed in the clean transition,” said Jon Morrish, President of Cement Europe. “Our industry is ready to deliver low-carbon, circular materials, but we need the right regulatory, funding and infrastructure conditions to make it happen.”

Europe’s cement sector is already leading the race to decarbonisation, having launched more than 120 innovation projects across the continent. Yet without a competitive business model, these efforts are at risk. The Plan identifies clear actions to strengthen competitiveness:

• A watertight CBAM by 2026, ensuring fair treatment for imports and exports.
• Business planning security under the EU ETS, with regulatory consistency and long-term predictability.
• Competitive access to energy, through electricity market reforms, tariff reductions, and strengthened interconnections.

To enable the transition, it calls for:

• Robust funding and de-risking tools, including a dedicated Cement Decarbonisation Fund financed through ETS and CBAM revenues.
• Accelerated CO2 infrastructure deployment, with EU-wide transport and storage capacity recognised as of overriding public interest.
• Lead markets for low-carbon products, driven by GWP disclosure, CO2 labelling, and public procurement rules.
• Investment in skills, through reskilling and upskilling programmes across the construction value chain.

“We have the ambition, the technology and the projects. But without the right enabling framework, the transition will stall,” added Koen Coppenholle, CEO of Cement Europe. “The Cement Action Plan is a call for a strong policy partnership to deliver Europe’s industrial decarbonisation while keeping production, jobs and investment in Europe.”

The launch of the Cement Action Plan coincides with the unveiling of Cement Europe’s new brand identity, reflecting the sector’s evolution as not only a reliable partner, but a driver for change and a constant ally in building Europe’s sustainable and competitive future.

Read the Official Press-Release here

Read the Cement Action Plan here.

Check out the Cement Action Plan brochure here.