Sweden: The Land and Environment Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the county administrative board in a dispute over bottom sediment in the bay outside Heidelberg Materials' Slite cement plant on Gotland.

The county administrative board has demanded investigations into levels of, among other things, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS – so-called ‘forever chemicals’), uranium, dioxins, furans, aliphatic hydrocarbons, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals such as chromium in the bay. The authority assesses that the area is contaminated and that this may pose risks to both the environment and human health, with links to the cement plant's historical and current operations in Slite.

Italy: Members of three unions at Buzzi’s cement plants staged assemblies and strikes on 4 February 2026 after the death of a worker at its Guidonia Montecelio plant in Lazio, on 2 February 2026. Around 1500 workers will collectively donate their pay for the hours not worked to the 55-year old's wife and two children.

The deceased worker, Diego Paniccia, was employed by an external contractor that has a long-term contract to clean the plant’s raw meal silos. He was inside one of them when he was buried by material. Other workers attempted to assist him, but he died from his injuries.

The FeneuUil, Filca-Cisl and Fillea-Cgil Unions said that Paniccia was ‘another victim of duty’ and a ‘grave loss that affects not only the family, but the entire working community.’ They jointly called on Buzzi to pay at least the same amount to the family, and said that the assemblies and strikes would be a ‘valuable opportunity to reflect and discuss the incident.’ “We want to remember what happened, strengthening prevention, safety, and health protection in the workplace," they said.

Natale Di Cola, General Secretary of the Fillea-Cgil union in Lazio and Rome, noted that Paniccia’s death was the third industrial fatality in Lazio so far in 2026 and called for ‘widespread improvement’ of safety. “Stopping workplace carnage must be a priority for society as a whole, starting with institutions, which, including local ones, must step up and do everything possible to stop this disgrace,” he said.

Philippines: Holcim has signed a deal with Singapore-based Peak Energy, committing to procure electricity from a 25MW behind-the-metre solar park in the Philippines.
The 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) will facilitate the construction of two plants with capacities of 13MW and 12MW, according to Peak Energy.

The renewables developer and power producer, itself owned by US investment firm Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, will build, install, operate and maintain the facilities, while Holcim Philippines will use the power at its cement manufacturing plants in Bacnotan, La Union, and Norzagaray, Bulacan.

Once commissioned, the photovoltaic farms will be capable of producing around 40GWh of electricity annually, mitigating around 28,500t/yr of CO2. Together, they will create the largest behind-the-meter industrial solar complex in the Philippines.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines has completed a US$6m investment in a new alternative fuel feeding system at its La Union plant, strengthening its push to cut emissions and align with the industry's decarbonisation road map. The producer said that the installation would allow the plant to increase its use of alternative fuels, cutting CO₂ emissions by 12%.

“This investment reflects our commitment to decarbonizsing our operations while ensuring we remain ready to serve the market as demand recovers," said Holcim Philippines’ President and CEO Nicolas George. Holcim Philippines added that the initiative supports its long-term goal of reaching net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050.