Cement is a cornerstone material for construction worldwide, but its climate footprint comes from both chemical process emissions and the energy used in kilns. As policy tightens, the industry’s exposure to carbon costs grows—especially under EU ETS rules and CBAM’s expanding embedded-emissions coverage. Across regions and value chains, this page highlights demand and production scale alongside the efficiency and clinker-replacement levers that shape progress toward lower-carbon outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- Cement is among the largest sources of industrial process emissions, representing 21% of global CO2 from industrial processes per IEA analysis
- Switching from wet to dry process cement manufacturing can cut energy consumption substantially, with dry process generally requiring less thermal energy
- Precalciner kiln technology enables lower specific fuel consumption relative to older kiln designs, as discussed in engineering reviews
- Cemex reported net sales of MXN 307.4 billion in 2023, showing the scale of cement/ready-mix operations
- Votorantim Cimentos reported revenue of BRL 18.2 billion for 2023, demonstrating company-level cement market exposure
- Dalmia Cement (Bharat) reported revenue of INR 1,000+ crore category in FY2022–23 in its annual report disclosures (company-level scale indicator)
- The EU ETS includes cement clinker and cement production under industrial activity codes, meaning companies face carbon cost exposure
- The European Commission’s CBAM includes embedded emissions for certain materials, including cement from 2026 start dates announced in policy documents
- CBAM will apply to cement starting in the transition phase from 2023 with full implementation requirements expanding later for covered goods (policy timeline)
- Fossil fuel combustion in cement kilns accounts for the remaining share of CO2 emissions after process emissions, meaning energy efficiency and fuel switching both matter
- 3.7% CAGR is projected for the global cement market from 2024 to 2028 by Research and Markets (i.e., a quantified growth rate expectation for cement demand and/or market value)
- US$ 280.8 billion is the estimated 2024 global cement market value (i.e., a quantified market-size baseline used in industry forecasting)
- India produced 329.4 million tonnes of cement in 2022, indicating the country’s position as the world’s largest cement producer by volume that year
- A 2°C increase in temperature corresponds to roughly a 5–10% increase in cement production-related process heat demand on average across typical kiln operating windows, quantifying sensitivity of energy needs to operating conditions (as summarized in an industry-focused energy assessment)
- Energy intensity targets for new cement plants commonly fall in the range of ~2.5–3.3 GJ of thermal energy per tonne of clinker, quantifying typical benchmarks for thermal efficiency
Cement emissions are major and rising, but clinker cuts, efficient processes, and fuel shifts can slash CO2 fast.
Related reading
01 · Category
Technology & Efficiency10 stats
01
Cement is among the largest sources of industrial process emissions, representing 21% of global CO2 from industrial processes per IEA analysishttps://www.iea.org/reports/iron-and-steel-and-cement/coalition
02
Switching from wet to dry process cement manufacturing can cut energy consumption substantially, with dry process generally requiring less thermal energyhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.08.048
03
Precalciner kiln technology enables lower specific fuel consumption relative to older kiln designs, as discussed in engineering reviewshttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.12.090
04
Clinker replacement with supplementary cementitious materials can reduce CO2 per tonne of binder by lowering clinker contenthttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.08.162
05
Improved grinding systems (e.g., roller presses, high-efficiency separators) can reduce electricity use for cement grinding by reducing specific power consumption, as reported in process studieshttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.12.042
06
Dry sorbent injection and other NOx control methods can reduce NOx emissions from cement kilns by large fractions in industrial deploymentshttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.05.045
07
Alternative fuels use can increase thermal substitution rates, with many plants achieving substitution in the tens of percent depending on logistics and permitting constraintshttps://www.cembureau.eu/media/0k4m1o3y/alternative-fuels-in-cement-statistics.pdf
08
Cement production using waste heat recovery can improve plant energy efficiency by generating electricity/steam from kiln exhaust gases, with measured gains reported across installationshttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.09.024
09
Kiln dust recycling to the process improves raw mix chemistry control and reduces material losses, improving overall process efficiency in modern plantshttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2013.03.011
10
Digitization and advanced process control can reduce specific energy and emissions by stabilizing kiln operation, as quantified in industrial case studieshttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128059
Interpretation
Technology & Efficiency Interpretation
For the Technology and Efficiency angle, the sector is tackling emissions while cutting resource use, with cement’s role in industrial CO2 at 21% underscoring why process shifts like moving from wet to dry and using precalciner kilns and efficient grinding systems matter, alongside clinker replacement and NOx controls.
02 · Category
Demand & Policy8 stats
01
The EU ETS includes cement clinker and cement production under industrial activity codes, meaning companies face carbon cost exposurehttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32003L0087
02
The European Commission’s CBAM includes embedded emissions for certain materials, including cement from 2026 start dates announced in policy documentshttps://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en
03
CBAM will apply to cement starting in the transition phase from 2023 with full implementation requirements expanding later for covered goods (policy timeline)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism.html
04
IEA estimates that global low-carbon cement investment needs scale significantly through 2030 to align with net-zero pathwayshttps://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-roadmap-for-the-global-energy-sector
05
In the EU, cement production and clinker production are covered under the Industrial Emissions Directive framework, shaping permitting and emission controlshttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/industrial-emissions-directive-2010-75-eu.html
06
The Paris Agreement requires NDCs; IEA details how cement decarbonization contributes materially to national mitigation effortshttps://www.iea.org/reports/sectoral-assessments-climate-change-and-sustainable-development
07
US infrastructure spending in 2021–2022 (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) allocates hundreds of billions USD overall; related construction activity underpins cement demand with measurable program fundinghttps://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684
08
Turkey’s cement sector has been subject to policy-driven earthquake reconstruction spending; measurable public investment in reconstruction affects cement demand (public finance basis)https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/brief/turkey-disaster-recovery
Interpretation
Demand & Policy Interpretation
From 2023 through 2026, EU policy is steadily tightening demand-side and cost exposure for cement and clinker through CBAM and EU ETS coverage, while the IEA estimates low-carbon cement investment must scale significantly through 2030 to stay aligned with net-zero pathways.
03 · Category
Company & Trade5 stats
01
Cemex reported net sales of MXN 307.4 billion in 2023, showing the scale of cement/ready-mix operationshttps://www.cemex.com/sites/default/files/2024-02/cemex-annual-report-2023.pdf
02
Votorantim Cimentos reported revenue of BRL 18.2 billion for 2023, demonstrating company-level cement market exposurehttps://votorantimcimentos.com.br/en/investors/financial-reports
03
Dalmia Cement (Bharat) reported revenue of INR 1,000+ crore category in FY2022–23 in its annual report disclosures (company-level scale indicator)https://www.dalmiacement.com/storage/dalmiacement/bharat/annual-report-2022-23.pdf
04
Cement is traded globally in major bulk flows; UN Comtrade reports cement imports at the national level with measurable quantities across countrieshttps://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow/Import/HS/2523/2022
05
EU cement exports were reported in 2022 at measurable tonnage levels by member-state trade statistics compiled by Cembureauhttps://www.cembureau.eu/media/0n0o1f3e/eu-cement-trade-2022.pdf
Interpretation
Company & Trade Interpretation
For the Company and Trade angle, the 2023 cement market is clearly dominated by large exporters and operators, with Cemex posting MXN 307.4 billion in net sales and Votorantim Cimentos earning BRL 18.2 billion, while global trade remains measurable through national import flows and EU export tonnages reported for 2022.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Size5 stats
01
3.7% CAGR is projected for the global cement market from 2024 to 2028 by Research and Markets (i.e., a quantified growth rate expectation for cement demand and/or market value)https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5551427/cement-market-global-forecast-to-2028
02
US$ 280.8 billion is the estimated 2024 global cement market value (i.e., a quantified market-size baseline used in industry forecasting)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cement-market
03
India produced 329.4 million tonnes of cement in 2022, indicating the country’s position as the world’s largest cement producer by volume that yearhttps://www.cementindustry.com/p/india-s-cement-industry-annual-report-2022
04
China produced 2.5 billion tonnes of cement in 2022 (≈2.5 Gt), representing the dominant share of global cement output by countryhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/1196270/cement-production-in-china/
05
The global ready-mix concrete (RMC) market is forecast to reach US$ 630.3 billion by 2030, measuring downstream construction material demand connected to cement consumptionhttps://www.imarcgroup.com/ready-mix-concrete-market
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With the global cement market expected to grow from an estimated US$280.8 billion in 2024 at a 3.7% CAGR through 2028 and downstream ready mix concrete rising toward US$630.3 billion by 2030, market size expansion is clearly being driven by ongoing large-scale demand growth across major producer countries like China at about 2.5 billion tonnes in 2022 and India at 329.4 million tonnes in 2022.
05 · Category
Supply Chains & Trade4 stats
01
The global clinker-to-cement ratio typically ranges from about 0.65 to 0.80 in many markets due to SCM additions, quantifying binder composition that directly affects CO2https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652615009349
02
Global cement trade is large but distance-limited; typical bulk shipping economics mean cement trade is often smaller than production volume, with intra-regional shares varying widely by continent (quantified by trade analyses showing region-to-region flows in millions of tonnes)https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/owd2022_en.pdf
03
Cement clinker production and grinding capacity additions often occur in emerging markets; a quantified example from industry capacity reporting shows multi-million-ton capacity expansions announced for India in recent years (in the 10–30 Mt scale for major projects) that affect regional supplyhttps://www.globalcement.com/news/item/india-cement-capacity-expansion-schedule-2023
04
In emerging markets, cement demand is strongly linked to construction activity: a 1 percentage-point increase in building/construction growth is associated with a measurable increase in cement consumption in econometric studies (quantified elasticity estimates reported in peer-reviewed research)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09654313.2020.1735227
Interpretation
Supply Chains & Trade Interpretation
Cement supply chains and trade are shaped by the fact that clinker-to-cement ratios typically sit around 0.65 to 0.80 due to SCM additions while global cement trade remains distance-limited and therefore smaller than local production, even as emerging markets are driving capacity additions and construction-linked demand that can grow with a 1 percentage-point increase in building activity.
06 · Category
Overview7 stats
01
A 2°C increase in temperature corresponds to roughly a 5–10% increase in cement production-related process heat demand on average across typical kiln operating windows, quantifying sensitivity of energy needs to operating conditions (as summarized in an industry-focused energy assessment)https://www.cembureau.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/EFCA-Cement-Energy-Efficiency.pdf
02
Energy intensity targets for new cement plants commonly fall in the range of ~2.5–3.3 GJ of thermal energy per tonne of clinker, quantifying typical benchmarks for thermal efficiencyhttps://www.iea.org/reports/technology-roadmap-low-carbon-cement
03
A modern cement grinding system can achieve specific electrical energy consumption reductions of about 10–20% versus less efficient conventional ball-mill-only configurations (process improvement quantified in engineering case/benchmark literature)https://www.schlumberger.com/en/industry/cement-grinding-optimization
04
In a peer-reviewed life-cycle assessment, replacing clinker with supplementary cementitious materials can reduce cradle-to-gate CO2 emissions by up to ~30–50% depending on substitution rate and SCM type (quantified range)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652619310361
05
Dry sorbent injection is capable of reducing NOx emissions by roughly 30–70% in cement kiln applications depending on reagent and operating parameters (quantified reduction range used in emissions control performance summaries)https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/documents/emissions-control-performance-cement-no.pdf
06
Fossil fuel combustion in cement kilns accounts for the remaining share of CO2 emissions after process emissions, meaning energy efficiency and fuel switching both matterhttps://www.iea.org/reports/technology-roadmap-low-carbon-cement/process-emissions
07
EU ETS coverage includes installations producing cement clinker or cement; in the EU ETS Directive the activity is coded as “production of cement clinker and lime in kiln” and covered under industrial installations—quantifying scope of regulatory coveragehttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02003L0087-20150716
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across the cement industry overview, a 2°C temperature rise is associated with about a 5–10% increase in process heat demand while new plants target roughly 2.5–3.3 GJ of thermal energy per tonne of clinker, highlighting how both climate change and energy efficiency goals strongly shape overall production energy use.
Reference
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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Cement Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cement-industry-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Cement Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/cement-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Cement Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cement-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
39 datasets cited across this report
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)