Climate Change

It is clear that efforts must be made to mitigate the causes of climate change, by reducing greenhouse gas production, for example. Nevertheless, despite mitigation, climate change is a reality now and, as such, society needs to adapt and protect itself from the consequences today and in the future.

The climate-energy legislative package containing measures to fight climate change and promote renewable energy was adopted by Council on 6 April 2009. The package includes the Directive to revise rules for the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) for its third trading period from 2013 to 2020, which was published in the Official Journal on 5 June 2009.

As part of the work conducted on the Emissions Trading Directive, CEMBUREAU developed a clinker benchmarking proposal, which was quite an achievement even though, on one aspect – method for allocation to installations –, the decision to opt for a single EU-wide benchmark was adopted by a substantial majority, not a unanimous vote.

In order to secure a Directive that would not condemn the cement industry in Europe, The Boston Consulting Group was commissioned by CEMBUREAU to produce a study on the risk of carbon leakage in the European cement industry.