Germany: Thomas Zement has broken ground on the construction of a new cement grinding mill at its 1.4Mt/yr Karsdorf cement plant in Saxony-Anhalt. The mill will use thermal energy derived from waste heat from the plant's clinker cooler. It is intended to reduce the Karsdorf plant’s CO₂ emissions and clinker and power consumption.

Costa Rica: Holcim Costa Rica has published its second Sustainability Report, covering 2025. During the year, the producer more than doubled its sales of ECOPact 30% reduced-CO₂ concrete year-on-year. It added two new concrete plants, increasing its concrete capacity by a factor of 10, and sold 682,000t of cement. A link to the report is available on Holcim Costa Rica’s website.

Israel: Alternative cement developer Starstone has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with building materials producer Ashtrom Industries for an applied evaluation of its biogenic cement. Starstone produces cement using bacterial fermentation inside bioreactors, removing the need for heating or quarried minerals and facilitating an 80% reduction in energy consumption. Following a successful evaluation, the partners will consider possibilities for commercial integration.

Brazil: Steelmaker CSN announced on 10 August 2026 that it had begun to review binding bids for a potential full divestment of its cement business CSN Cimentos. It was earlier reported that the sale could fetch more than US$2bn, with China-based Huaxin Cement and a consortium of Votorantim Cimentos and Italy-founded Cementir Holding among the leading contenders.