Germany: The German Cement Works Association (VDZ) has lobbied national and European Union governments for ‘appropriate and reliable’ framework conditions for the industry’s to realise its sustainability objectives. Its Environmental Data of the German Cement Industry 2020 report set out the sector’s agenda under three overlapping headings: climate neutrality by 2050, preservation of primary raw materials and air pollution control. The VDZ said that government support for the necessary ‘unprecedented’ reduction in CO2 emissions will be especially vital in the area of renewable power and the creation of a functioning CO2 infrastructure.
VDZ president Christian Knell said “The often bureaucratic and complex processes involved in approval procedures and applications for funds to finance necessary investments are a cause for concern.”