Issue: № 5, 2025
Doi: https://doi.org/10.37634/efp.2025.5.26
Introduction. The cement industry in the European Union is confronting multifaceted economic, environmental, and technological challenges driven by stringent decarbonization mandates. As a cornerstone of EU climate policy, the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) plays a pivotal role in mitigating global warming through its market-based cap-and-trade mechanism for greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the sector’s adaptation to: economic instability (e.g., declining construction investments), regulatory pressures (CO₂ reduction targets under the European Green Deal), structural transformations in cement and clinker production. By employing quantitative and qualitative methods, it assesses: competitiveness under evolving EU ETS reforms, disparities between large producers (benefiting from EU Innovation Fund support) and SMEs compelled to transfer costs via price hikes; market impacts, particularly rising cement prices. Result. The paper integrates emissions data, production capacity metrics, and case studies (e.g., ANRAV, Go4EcoPlanet) to model decarbonization pathways. Key findings reveal: risks of production centralization due to unequal access to decarbonization financing , trade-offs between environmental targets (e.g., 55% emission cuts by 2030) and industrial viability , price volatility linked to carbon cost pass-through mechanisms. Conclusion. The study underscores the urgency of balancing sustainability ambitions with economic resilience. Policymakers must address market distortions caused by uneven resource allocation and prioritize inclusive decarbonization strategies to ensure sector-wide competitiveness.
Keywords : technological innovations, cement industry, decarbonization, EU ETS, CCUS, competitiveness, European Green Deal, low-carbon alternatives, environmental mechanisms, decarbonization, cement plant recycling
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