Austria: The domestic cement market has declined by around 25% over the past three to four years since the end of Austria’s recent construction boom, according to the Association of Austrian Cement Producers (VÖZ). Nevertheless, cement plants produced 4.53Mt/yr of cement in 2025 - a 0.4% year-on-year increase from 2024. Although CO2 emissions per tonne of cement fell below 470kg for the first time, the sector’s total CO2 emissions rose by 2.6% to 2.14Mt.
Sebastian Spaun, managing director of the Association of Austrian Cement Producers (VÖZ), said "The fact that Austrian plants have nevertheless produced slightly more cement recently is solely due to additional exports. However, this strategy cannot be sustained in the long term."
The fact that emissions rose more sharply than cement production itself is attributed to higher clinker production. At 467kg of CO2 per tonne of cement, domestic production is among the lowest-emission in the world, according to the VÖZ. However, the industry has to compete with companies whose products are subject to much less stringent regulations.
"The Austrian cement industry has done its homework and has been investing hundreds of millions of euros for years in decarbonisation, the circular economy and innovative CO2 capture technologies," said Spaun. "Local waste cycles now provide the energy for clinker production, and fossil fuels have been phased out of cement plants by around 90%."
The association puts the thermal substitution rate at 88.8%. Fossil fuels are largely being replaced by non-recyclable waste materials. In addition, alternative raw materials are used in clinker and cement production. 25% of the raw materials used come from recycled construction waste from old buildings. In total, the domestic cement industry utilises around 550kg of substitute materials per tonne of cement produced.
Spaun added “Without CO2 storage, pipelines and affordable industrial electricity, zero emissions by 2040 will remain a pipe dream."