CEMBUREAU Activity Report 2013

CEMBUREAU has issued its annual Activity Report for 2013, available from the CEMBUREAU website, www.cembureau.eu.

The report gives an overview of the cement industry in Europe, including cement production in the context of economic developments, emissions reporting and trading, and CEMBUREAU’s work on increasing awareness of the cement industry’s vulnerability to climate change and energy policy, as well as the key issues that have been on the agenda over the last year.

In his introduction to the report, Chief Executive Koen Coppenholle stated: ‘Return on capital in the cement industry over the last four years has been between 3% and 5% below the cost of capital. The cement industry is a capital intensive industry with investment cycles of 30 years. Energy costs represents 30% of the cement industry’s total operating expenses and energy consumption could be increased by 50% to 120% if we were to be successful in implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to substantially drive down our emissions. These are the bare facts that we brought to policymakers. It is these facts that drive our request for a stable legal framework that allows long-term investment planning. Energy costs in Europe are twice as high as in the US, a factor which weighs on forward-looking investment decisions. The International Energy Agency predicts that total gas production will grow by 55% to 2035, with unconventional gas accounting for nearly two-thirds of the growth. Its share of total gas output will rise from 14% today to 32% in 2035. The Boston Consulting Group study, launched by CEMBUREAU on 6 March 2013, has brought these messages loud and clear. It has allowed our Association to engage at the highest levels in the European Commission and the Member States. Sustained messaging around these priorities culminated in strong advocacy, in close cooperation with our members, at the end of the year when arguing in favour of maintaining the 2009 carbon leakage criteria.’

In his introduction, President Peter Hoddinott said: ‘At the CEMBUREAU General Assembly in July 2013, three strategic directions were set out for the association: (i) continue to protect and defend our industry; (ii) promote concrete as a material of choice in sustainable construction and (iii) create a compelling case and broad alignment on the need for a competitive, local cement and concrete industry.’

‘At the end of 2013, progress has been made on all three fronts but it is clear that this is only the start of a more sustained effort to transform the perception of our industry with policymakers and to position ourselves as a strong and constructive voice in the policy debate. We want to be prepared to address our priorities with the new European Parliament and Commission focusing on an industrial growth agenda prioritizing competitiveness, innovation, investment and jobs.’

The report makes for essential reading and is free to download from www.cembureau.eu.

Written by Katherine Guenioui with excerpts taken from CEMBUREAU's Activity Report 2013.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/16062014/cembureau_activity_report_2013_358/