ECOS feedback – Towards performance-based cement standards in Europe
Standards are essential to the well-functioning of the European internal market. This is not different for the construction sector, which heavily relies on standards to assess the performance of products placed and traded on the internal market. With the right set of standards in place, clean technologies and innovation become a key vector for decarbonisation.
This is particularly relevant for cement, as its production is highly energy and carbon intensive, being responsible for up to 8% of global and 4% of EU carbon emissions. Furthermore, European cements are among the most clinker1 intensive ones in the world, with a so-called clinker-to-cement ratio well above the global average and no signs of improvements, and industry is not on track to meet net-zero.
Standards play a key role in bringing down the share of clinker in cement, stemming from the fact that todays recipe-based cement standards (EN 197 series) are overly prescriptive, locking-in high levels of clinker for the different cements on our markets. While such approach was convenient at a time when scientific knowledge on cement durability and strength was less progressed, it comes at the expense of innovation and decarbonisation.
Inspired by the example set by many other lead markets (US, Australia, Latin-America), a major overhaul of the European standardisation system for cements is urgently needed to create a level-playing field for all existing – and emerging – cement technologies. This can be achieved by adopting a single performance-based cement standards for all common cements.
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