World Cement Podcast

In this special joint episode of the World Cement Podcast and Cementing Europe’s Future, Senior Editor David Bizley is once again joined by Koen Coppelholle, CEO of Cement Europe (formerly CEMBUREAU). The two discuss the reasons behind the rebrand, a new action plan for cement, and the future of the industry.
 
Topics covered include:
  • Rebranding from CEMBUREAU to Cement Europe
  • Changing priorities for the cement industry
  • The Cement Action Plan
  • The need for financing and demand-side measures
  • Policy and the road ahead
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This episode of the World Cement Podcast is sponsored by EnviroTech 2026.
Join industry leaders, technical experts, analysts, and other stakeholders on 15 – 18 March 2026 to discuss the latest technologies, processes and policies being deployed at the forefront of the cement industry’s decarbonisation efforts.

Find out more here: https://www.envirotechconferences.com/event/london2026/summary?utm_source=reg_web&utm_medium=WCT&utm_campaign=EnviroTech2026&utm_id=podcast

Creators and Guests

Host
David Bizley
As well as the day-to-day editing of content and working with article authors and advertisers, he is actively involved in the commissioning of material for both the magazine and its expanding online presence.
Guest
Koen Coppenholle
CEO at Cement Europe (formerly CEMBUREAU)

What is World Cement Podcast?

The World Cement podcast: a podcast series for professionals in the cement industry.

David Bizley:

Hello, everyone, and welcome to a special joint episode of the World Cement Podcast and Cementing Europe's Future, the podcast of Cement Europe, formerly known as SEMBURO. I'm David Bisley, senior editor of World Cement, and today, I am once again joined by Cohen Coppenhaller, CEO of Cement Europe, at a pivotal moment for the European cement sector. With the launch of a new name and identity, Cement Europe, and the publication of the Cement Action Plan, the industry is presenting a renewed vision for how it can deliver on climate ambition, resilience, and industrial competitiveness. EnviroTech, world cement's industry leading decarbonisation focused conference, is heading to London on the March 2026. Join your peers from across the cement industry for a three day presentation agenda featuring a host of leading cement producers and experts in decarbonization.

David Bizley:

Learn from leaders in the field, build new partnerships, and share your own insights and expertise at our multiple networking events and exhibition filled with leading technology providers. So join us at EnviroTech, the heart of the cement industry's decarbonization discussion. Simply head over to worldcement.com/envirateq to register today and secure your place. Make sure to use code ETPOD, that's ETPOD, for an extra 10% off your tickets. I hope to see you there.

David Bizley:

So, lots to cover today then. Kant, thank you so much for joining me again. Welcome back.

Koen Coppenholle:

It's a pleasure being here. Thank you for inviting me.

David Bizley:

So, to kick things off then, what drove the decision to move from SEM Bureau to Cement Europe? And what does this shift represent?

Koen Coppenholle:

Well, actually, it's aimed to have a more recognizable brand, to clearly say who we are, and also having a fresh look and feel for our association. It directly says what we stand for, Cement Europe. It's focused on Europe, European Union, but also the members that are not members of the European Union but that are members of SEM Bureau. It represents also an engagement, an invitation to dialogue, not only with policymakers, but with citizens and society at large.

David Bizley:

Okay, and this new identity also suggests a stronger link between the material and the content itself. What kind of message is this meant to send to policymakers, industry partners and society at large?

Koen Coppenholle:

It aims to say that the cement and concrete are strategic materials for Europe's future, and then we don't only think about the well known and traditional applications in terms of housing and bridges and infrastructure, but more generally also in the sectors of defense, that's where our product will be essential. Our material will be essential. Energy, low carbon energy sources in particular, also artificial intelligence, these will all be areas where we think that our material is strategic. So the strategic nature of our material is important, but also the fact that we are a very local value chain, firmly rooted in Europe, committed to Europe, but also we have 200 plants spread across Europe, so the contribution to local communities is very important, and we find it important through that to emphasize our European presence and commitment. Okay, and

David Bizley:

beyond the new brand there's clearly a broader shift in how the sector is positioning itself. What values or principles are embedded in this new identity?

Koen Coppenholle:

Well, it more or less ties in with what I just explained. We aim to focus on a more human centric approach in addition to positioning the cement and concrete industry as an essential industry. For Europe, it needs to bring welfare and it brings welfare to local communities. It contributes to society's needs when it comes to infrastructure, housing, energy, defense, also artificial intelligence as just explained. So more positioning ourselves as an active participant which is ready to engage in the broader societal dialogue.

David Bizley:

Okay, the rebranding also happens to coincide with the launch of the cement action plan. What is the plan and what role does it aim to play at this moment in European policy making?

Koen Coppenholle:

Well, the action plan is actually a response to the Clean Industrial Deal, which in itself is a European policy response to the Green Deal, as our roadmap for 2050 and the ambition we set forth in the roadmap is a response to the Green Deal. And actually it's our plea for making sure that the competitiveness and the transition elements that are necessary from a policy perspective are driving the agenda and are driving the single growth agenda in addition to the climate agenda, and I think that's the core element of what we have set out in the plan.

David Bizley:

Okay, so the plan focuses on the twin challenges of climate and competitiveness. Why was it important to address these two together rather than separate?

Koen Coppenholle:

I think the first point to make is that it's important that the plan sets forth a sense of urgency, it really emphasizes that the sector feels that it is delivering with the roadmap that we have delivered a plan to 2050 and the projects and investments are underway and in the pipeline, but we do feel that delivery which is there and laid out is not matched by the right policy framework. It's not sufficient for policymakers to set targets. They cannot be reached in the absence of a facilitating regulatory framework, infrastructure, robust financing. And that's why we focus, first of all, on competitiveness and then transition. You cannot build a house without first having the foundation, and that foundation is competitive.

Koen Coppenholle:

So that addresses the structurally high electricity prices, access to thermal energy, regulatory complexity, inconsistency often, but also the broader competitiveness, which also leads to a situation where we're not gaining ground in relation to the third country. We're losing ground in relation. Impulse have basically increased four or five times between 2016 and now, and our exports have halved over that same period. So that is really eroding the competitiveness of European cement.

David Bizley:

Okay, so touching on that, the plan outlines a range of barriers to investment from permitting to energy prices to financing as you mentioned. Going into a bit more detail, what are some of the most urgent issues that need to be resolved?

Koen Coppenholle:

Well actually I would say the first one is as I said, the strictly high energy prices, the electricity cost. Especially when we decarbonize, we will need more electricity, the demand for electricity will increase. So I think that's a headache for many of our industries, the day to day operations, but also the future. At the same time, it's also true that we are a hard to abate sector. Two thirds of our emissions are processed today, and that's where a lot of our policy issues come from.

Koen Coppenholle:

We need the funding for breakthrough technologies. The regulatory certainty is very important for our business, especially when it comes to residual emissions from these hard to abate emissions after 02/1940. So there's a lot of legal uncertainty, regulatory uncertainty that is linked to that notion of how to abate sector that we want to see addressed apart from then in the transition issues related to the infrastructure, both energy and CO2, and financing, and then indeed the low carbon product market update for low carbon products which needs to be incentivized. I think this would be in a nutshell the core elements of what we asked for.

David Bizley:

Okay, in terms of financing then, the cement action plan calls for tailored funding mechanisms and the use of ETS revenues. What would an effective funding framework look like for the cement sector?

Koen Coppenholle:

Well, first of all, the funding volume. I think the innovation fund at European level is still largely insufficient when it comes to decarbonization of the sector. And the second point that we make very strongly is that ETS revenues that we will pay into these revenues over the coming years, that 75% of what we pay needs to come back to us into a decarbonization fund for the sector. I think that's a very reasonable request. So the volume needs to increase to fund the decarbonization of our sector.

Koen Coppenholle:

Second point, derisking instruments is very important. We're facing also new value chains when you're talking about the current capital value chain. It's important to derisk that value chain for each operator on that value chain. And there we're looking at guarantees, we're looking at contracts for difference that are essential financing tools. And then the last element would be would consist in reducing the complexity and accessing funding because now you have different regimes, and there has been a step taken in the right direction by the new state aid framework, where there is indeed a connection with the innovation fund and state aid rules.

Koen Coppenholle:

We want to see more of that. Wanna see one stop shops when it comes to accessing finances and funding for the decarbonisation of our sector.

David Bizley:

Okay, and the Cement Action Plan also talks about the need for lead markets and demand side measures, which you also touched on a little bit. What kind of policy tools could help create real market bull for low carbon cement and concrete?

Koen Coppenholle:

Well, it's clear that a large part of the measures that need to be taken there is going to be coming from the public procurement markets. I think this is driving also demand for low carbon products, But it's not only a good procurement, we would see a combination of factors. For instance, we do have a mandatory disclosure of the global warming potential already coming out of the construction products regulation in Europe, and in fact also leading into the energy of performance of buildings directly through the member states will have to set some roadmaps in place by 02/1928, 02/2030. I think that's what we're looking at in terms of drivers for the decarbonization. And then we're looking at national level, the uptake of labeling schemes that allow the low carbon products to come to markets.

Koen Coppenholle:

We have developed ourselves a labeling scheme that is also inspired by international regimes, but it also takes into account national flexibilities. I think that is important as a sort of mixed of measures that will and needs to incentivize the uptake of low carbon products.

David Bizley:

Okay, and stepping back a little bit, one theme running through both the action plan and the new identity is that cement is more than just an industrial product, it's actually an essential part of infrastructure. How do you think that could be better reflected in EU policies?

Koen Coppenholle:

Well when you talk about an essential part of infrastructure, we're talking about indeed also the construction markets. That's a very large market representing 10% of European GDP. So we tap into that market, but in order to make sure that our product is well recognized and also the decarbonization efforts are acknowledged, We really want to make sure that the policy adopts a material neutral approach to legislation. It's very important that all the materials that are building materials, they all have their place in the construction market, but we want a fair treatment, we want a material neutral treatment of legislation. And again, facilitating market uptake of the low carbon products as we just discussed is an important part of that equation because we decarbonize with the purpose of making sure that we can reach the customers with low carbon products.

Koen Coppenholle:

So I think that's an important part in recognizing that role that we can play through durability, through robustness of our products, but also through our low carbon efforts in the construction market at large.

David Bizley:

Okay. Now, the cement sector is often described as hard to abate but it's also highly committed to transitioning to net zero. What gives you confidence that this transition can actually be achieved?

Koen Coppenholle:

Well as I said in the beginning, the roadmap that we put together has been updated in May 2024, and that has been updated because there are a number of projects, 120 projects and even more that are in the pipeline. Again, the final investment decisions heavily depends on the putting in place of competitive and transition requirements. But what I've seen and what we've seen over the past years is this is a heavy industry, yes, but it's able to be quick on its feet. It's able to put together the projects fast, to move fast, and that has really demonstrated the innovation spirit, the entrepreneurial audacity, I would say, of our sector, and that's what I'm optimistic about. But at the same time, emphasizing indeed that basic competitiveness and transition are the essential elements that we need going forward.

David Bizley:

Okay, speaking of the future, looking ahead, what will success look like for both Cement Europe as an organization and for the Cement Action Plan?

Koen Coppenholle:

If we can, through not only the name, and as I said at the beginning it invites to a dialogue, but also through the action plan, have a structured dialogue, very nitty gritty oriented with policymakers, and the three institutions need to be involved there. So Parliament Council and European Commission, where we can really lay out the specific demands for our sector and say, these are the issues that we need to move forward on our decarbonisation agenda, and then have an actionable agenda on these items, I think that would be success of both the name change positioning ourselves, but also the cement action plan and the policy demands we have in there.

David Bizley:

Okay, good. Excellent. I think that's a good place to wrap up this episode. Thank you for joining me once again and exploring these important issues facing the European cement sector.

Koen Coppenholle:

Thank you so much.

David Bizley:

And as always, a big thank you to everyone in our audience for joining us. Now, you found this episode via the World Cement Podcast or through Cementing Europe's Future, please do make sure to rate, review and subscribe, and check out the other podcast as well. That's all for this episode. Goodbye for now. EnviroTech, World Cement's industry leading decarbonization focused conference, is heading to London on the March 2026.

David Bizley:

Join your peers from across the cement industry for a three day presentation agenda, featuring a host of leading cement producers and experts in decarbonization. Learn from leaders in the field, build new partnerships, and share your own insights and expertise at our multiple networking events and exhibitions, built with leading technology providers. So, join us at EnviroTech, the heart of the cement industry's decarbonization discussion. Simply head over to worldcement.com/envirotek to register today and secure your place. Make sure to use code ETPOD, that's ETPOD, for an extra 10% off your tickets.

David Bizley:

I hope to see you there.