{"id":120575,"date":"2026-07-13T08:57:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T06:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=120575"},"modified":"2026-07-13T08:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T06:58:11","slug":"eu-risks-locking-low-carbon-cements-out-of-the-single-market-new-report-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/it\/eu-risks-locking-low-carbon-cements-out-of-the-single-market-new-report-warns\/","title":{"rendered":"EU risks locking low-carbon cements out of the single market, new report warns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brussels, 13 July \u2013 The EU is\u00a0betting its cement transition on costly and uncertain carbon capture plans.\u00a0A new\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) finds that cheaper and\u00a0commercially available\u00a0alternatives are already cutting emissions\u00a0but remain locked out by outdated EU standards and procurement\u00a0rules.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The report,\u00a0CEMENT IT BETTER<\/a>, finds that Europe\u2019s biggest opportunity to decarbonise cement lies in reducing and replacing clinker, the highly carbon-intensive ingredient at the heart of conventional cement production.<\/p>\n

Scaling existing solutions such as cement blending, clinker substitution, circular materials and resource efficiency could cut emissions by up to 40% today, while innovative low-carbon binders and clinker-free cements could slash emissions by up to 70% or more when combined with renewable energy.<\/p>\n

Yet many of the most promising alternatives remain locked out of the EU market. Low-carbon binders and clinker-free cements are already being produced commercially in Europe, but outdated standards still define cement by its recipe rather than its environmental performance, preventing many innovative products from being certified and used at scale.<\/p>\n

At the same time, proposed EU measures \u2013including the\u00a0Industrial Accelerator Act<\/a>, public procurement initiatives and investment frameworks\u2013\u00a0risk doubling down on carbon capture and storage (CCS<\/a>) as the default pathway for cement decarbonisation, despite\u00a0decades<\/a>\u00a0of overpromising, cost overruns and missed delivery.<\/p>\n

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Source:\u00a0ProPublica<\/a>\u00a0based on IEA\u2019s CCUS project database.<\/em><\/p>\n

Quote<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jai Krishna, Senior Policy Officer for Industrial Production at EEB, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cEurope is preparing to create lead markets for low-carbon concrete, but its rules risk locking out some of the cleanest solutions already available. Near-zero and clinker-free cements and concrete 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. The EU should reward solutions that prevent emissions, not wait to capture them afterwards.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Background<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

Cement is responsible for around 4% of EU industrial emissions, largely because producing Portland clinker \u2013the main ingredient in conventional cement\u2013 releases large amounts of process CO\u2082 through the chemical transformation of limestone.<\/p>\n

Because around 60% of cement emissions come from this chemical process, carbon capture has often been presented as the main pathway to decarbonisation.<\/p>\n

However, the report finds that Europe can significantly reduce these emissions before capture is needed by transforming how cement is produced and used.<\/p>\n

Key solutions include:<\/p>\n