Low-carbon cement labelling poised for introduction

Cembureau, the Euopean cement association, has been investigating the development of a carbon intensity label for industrial products as proposed by the Clean Industrial Deal (CID). The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is most likely to be used as a legislative instrument to mandate a labelling system for the cement industry and is anticipated by the end of 2025.

The challenge is to ensure a labelling system that clearly defines and differentiates the industrial products based on carbon intensity while giving producers access to target-based incentives. Cembureau has consistently advocated the creation of lead markets to accelerate the uptake of low-carbon, and circular products.

Alignment with existing legislation
The CPR will make it mandatory to disclose Global Warming Potential in the Declaration and Conformity for CE marking. Meanwhile, the Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD) works in tandem with CPR, requiring member states to limit values for the lifecycle of Global Warming Potential (GWP – kgCO₂ eq./m³) of new buildings.

Cembreau reports that these limits from 2028 will apply to buildings over 1000m² and from 2030 to all new buildings. Moreover, contractors must disclose lifecycle GWP in Energy Performance Certificates.

Governance model
To maintain the EC’s competitiveness agenda under the CID, Cembureau advocates a practical and efficient governance model to delineate responsibilities across the EU and national level to ensure the effective implementation and operation of the labelling scheme.

Cembureau is suggesting at EU level there should be the disclosure GWP indicator as required by the forthcoming standardisation request for cement. But at national level, Cembureau’s own framework for defining low-carbon cements can be used as accepted by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

This IEA scheme has already proved to be adaptive internationally by the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) and UN’s Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI). The GCCA’s methodology is significant as it offers international comparability of low-carbon cement products, thus overcoming the problem of GWP values from Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) having been developed using different local standards.

At a national level, the VDZ (German Cement Works Association) uses this framework as part of a stakeholder process by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, which sets thresholds for climate-friendly products.

VDZ ‘s CO₂ label is called ‘Cement Carbon Class’ (CCC). Class A represent cements with emissions between 100-200kgCO₂/t, whiler ‘Near Zero’ cements are classified as emitting less than 100kgCO₂/t.

VDZ Chief Executive, Marton Schneider said: “This makes the new CCC label an important step towards promoting green lead markets, which are crucial for the transformation towards climate neutrality.”

Single market - free circulation
Cembureau envisages free circulation in the single market is possible because of the mandatory disclosure GWP indicator. In addition, market adoption of national labels based on Cembureau’s framework definition could be used by the public as well as private entities as a technical specification in their purchasing. VAT fiscal advantages could also be applied.