Europe: Sustainability policy organisation ECOS says that the European Parliament must enact the recommended Sustainable Products Regulation. The parliament received the recommendation from its Environment, Public Health and Food Safety committee (ENVI). ECOS says that the regulation would submit cement to the EU's Ecodesign environmental impact framework.

Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS) programme manager Joren Verschaeve said “Members of the ENVI committee have voted to regulate one of the most polluting products on the market. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation will provide the cement industry with a stable and predictable framework towards decarbonisation.”

ECOS founded the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement & Concrete (ALCCC), an association of companies focused on alternative building materials production, in May 2023.

Argentina: Holcim Argentina has commissioned its new 120,000t/yr mortar plant at its Malagueño cement plant in Córdoba. The plant cost US$5m to build. It is equipped with six 100t raw material silos and eight 1t additive silos. It also has a 2000l mixer, three packing machines and an automated palletiser. Holcim Argentina says that the plant will produce its Tector Adhesive and Tector Revoques ranges of mortar.

Holcim Argentina chief executive officer Christian Dedeu said “This new plant is aligned with our purpose of generating progress for people and the planet, accompanied by a diversification of our product portfolio. It consolidates us as the leading company in innovative solutions for construction.”

Guatemala: Switzerland-based Holcim has acquired mortars and adhesives producer Minerales y Agregados, Reuters has reported. Holcim described Guatemala as a 'high-growth market.'

India: JK Lakshmi Cement says that it will invest US$201m in its on-going upgrade to its Udaipur cement plant. When commissioned before April 2024, the upgraded plant will have an integrated capacity of 1.5Mt/yr, and an additional grinding capacity of 1Mt/yr. The Hindu BusinessLine newspaper has reported that the project will help to raise JK Lakshmi’s capacity to 18Mt/yr.

Over the six-year period up to the end of the 2030 financial year on 31 March 2030, JK Lakshmi Cement plans to invest US$972m in growth. This will include both capital expenditure (CAPEX) and acquisitions of new capacity. Planned CAPEX projects include the construction of two new plants, at Kutch in Gujarat and Nagaur in Rajasthan. The producer said that the planned plants will strengthen its position in the West India market. As a result of its investments, JK Lakshmi says that it will become a top-10 Indian cement producer by 2030.