Climate Change
CEMBUREAU: The European Cement Association
What do our scores mean?
The organizational score represents the degree to which the organization influencing climate policy and legislation. Corporations also have relationship scores reflecting their links with influencers like trade associations. Both are combined to place the corporation in a performance band. Full details can be found here.
Engagement Intensity
The engagement intensity (EI) is a metric of the extent to which the company is engaging on climate change policy matters, whether positively or negatively. It is a number from 0 (no engagement at all) to 100 (full engagement on all queries/data points). Clearly energy companies are more affected by climate regulations and will have a higher EI than, for example retailers. So an organization’s score should be looked at in conjunction with this metric to gauge the amount of evidence we are using in each case as a basis for scoring. On our scale, an EI of more than 35 indicates a relatively large amount of climate policy engagement.
- Details of Organization Score
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What do the 0,1,2 and NSs, NAs mean?
Each cell in the organization's matrix presents a chance for us to assess each data source against our column of climate change policy queries. We score from -2 to 2, with negative scores representing evidence of obstructive influence. "NA" means "not applicable" and "NS" means "not scored" - that is we did not find any evidence either way. In both cases, the cell's weighting is re-distributed over others. Red and blue cells represent highly interesting negative or positive influence respectively. Full details can be found here.
| QUESTIONS | SOURCES |
Main Web Site
We search the main organizational Web site of the company and its direct links to major affiliates and attached documents (e.g. the CSR report). |
Social Media
We search other media and sites funded or controlled by the organization, such as social media (Twitter, Facebook) and direct advertising campaigns of the organization. |
CDP Responses
We assess and score responses to three of the 2014 CDP's political influence questions (currently these are not numerically scored by the CDP process). |
Legislative Consultations
Legislative Consultation documents from official government sources. As of July 2015, we consider relevant information originating directly from the US Government and the European Commission other key regions e.g. Australia and Japan. |
Media Reports
Here we search in a consistent manner (the organization name and relevant query search terms) a set of Web sites of representing reputable news or data aggregations. Supported by targeted searches of proprietary databases. |
CEO Messaging
Here we search in a consistent manner (the CEO/Chairman, organization name and relevant query search terms) a set of Web sites of representing reputable news or data aggregations. Supported by targeted searches of proprietary databases. |
Financial Disclosures
We search 10-K and 20-F SEC filings where available, and non US equivalents where not. We search earnings comments via Edgar Online and Fair Disclosure Wire. |
EU Register
Information provided by to the voluntary EU Transparency Register. |
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Climate Science Transparency
Is the organisation being transparent about climate change science? |
NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NA | NA | |
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Climate Science Stance
Is the organization supporting the science of climate change and the response demanded (as per the IPCC) |
0 | 2 | NA | -1 | NS | 0 | NA | NA | |
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Need for climate regulations
To what extent does the organization express the need for climate policy and regulations in general. |
NS | -1 | NS | -1 | NS | -1 | NA | NA | |
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UN Treaty Support
Is the organization supporting a global treaty on climate change and the UN FCCC process? |
0 | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NA | NA | |
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Transparency on Legislation
Is the organisation being transparent about their positions on climate change legislation and policy, including CEO statements. |
2 | NA | NS | NA | NA | NA | NA | NS | |
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Carbon Tax
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: carbon tax. |
NS | NS | NS | -1 | NS | NS | NA | NA | |
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Emissions Trading
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: emissions trading. |
-1 | -1 | NS | -1 | -2 | -1 | NA | NA | |
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Energy Efficiency Standards
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: Energy efficiency standards and targets |
-1 | NS | NS | -1 | -1 | NS | NA | NA | |
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Renewable Energy Legislation
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: Renewable energy targets, subsidies and legislation. |
NS | -1 | NS | -1 | NS | NS | NA | NA | |
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Energy Policy and Mix
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: energy policy and the energy mix. We refer to IPCC thinking on renewables, coal, oil and gas. |
0 | 1 | NS | NS | 0 | 1 | NA | NA | |
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GHG Emission Standards
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: GHG emission standards and targets. |
-1 | NS | NS | -2 | NS | 0 | NS | NA | |
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Disclosure on Relationships
The Caring for Climate “inventory” of climate change policy influences: Are companies being transparent about their business associations which may impact climate debate and policy |
2 | NS | NS | NA | NA | NA | NS | NS | |
CEMBUREAU is actively and negatively lobbying many key pieces of EU climate change policy. Whilst CEMBUREAU claims "the cement industry is fully in line with the goal to keep temperature rise below 2°C", it has also opposed increased ambition for short-term GHG reduction targets, and believes “setting CO2 targets to 2050 is unrealistic”. CEMBUREAU is most heavily engaged with the EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS). During the setting of benchmarks for phase III, the association successfully pushed for a less stringent measurement standard, significantly reducing the ambition the scheme as it applies to cement production. It has since recognized the need for structural changes to the EU ETS but appears to have opposed many of the suggested reforms. In 2013, Chief Executive Koen Coppenholle used an editorial in an industry magazine to advertise the organization's ability to protect companies from EU ETS reforms. Throughout 2014, 2015 and 2016 CEMBUREAU has repeatedly lobbied EU policy makers, stressing the threat of carbon leakage to push for a continued allocation of free pollution permits, and opposing measures such as the Cross-Sectoral Correction Factor. In 2016 consultations on the energy efficiency directive, the association suggested that further efficiency gains in the EU cement production are not in line with economic reality and urged policy makers to avoid setting targets for the sector. CEMBUREAU has also criticized the renewable energy directive for not offering enough protection to the sector and has called for the phase out of renewable energy subsidies at the level of EU member states. Despite this, the organization does appear to support the increased use of alternative fuel sources in cement production as a way of replacing fossil fuels usage and reducing emissions, and has advocated for greater support for biomass under the renewable energy directive. CEMBUREAU's plan for the transition of the energy mix however appears to envision a prolonged phase out heavy carbon emitting fuels, predicting that the sector's 2050 energy mix will still contain 40% coal & pet-coke.