Using blockchain innovation to reach near-zero carbon cement: Policy learnings from Heidelberg Materials’ evoZero®

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Cement and concrete are among the world’s most important construction materials but the sector remains, by nature, one of the most difficult industrial sectors to decarbonise, because of the unavoidable process emissions coming from the calcination of limestone into clinker. While clinker substitution, material efficiency and circular approaches can substantially reduce emissions, achieving deep decarbonisation may require technologies such as Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) to address remaining process emissions. 

Heidelberg Materials has set itself clear emissions reduction targets for 2030 (47 per cent reduction compared to 1990 levels for scope 1 emissions) as well as a 50 per cent target of global revenue from sustainable products.[1] To drive this transition, the company developed the first industrial-scale carbon capture and storage project in the cement industry at its plant in Brevik, Norway, operational since June 2025[2]. The project is a critical part of the Norwegian Longship project, linking capture, transport and permanent storage.[3] The emissions reductions from the CO2 capture are integrated into the new evoZero products – the world’s first near-zero[4] carbon captured cement.[5]

The key challenge: bridging the supply–demand asymmetry

The core challenge is finding a way to connect localised and limited early supply of near-zero carbon cement with pan-European, as well as global, demand. Without a mechanism to bridge a supply–demand asymmetry in the market, buyers are unable to purchase clean materials, and producers are left without the strong market signals required to justify further, large-scale investments in industrial deep decarbonisation.

While the use of alternative materials in cement is contributing to the decarbonisation of this material, the sector still requires breakthrough, capital-intensive technologies like CCUS to address unavoidable process emissions, among a broader portfolio of solutions. Developing the infrastructure – from the capturing facilities to transport to the storage sites – requires massive upfront investments, while availability of capital is limited and the policy environment and demand remain uncertain. Therefore, such projects can only be deployed gradually, resulting in a highly constrained initial supply of near-zero products. At the same time, buyers across Europe are increasingly requesting near-zero and low carbon construction materials to meet their own climate targets. This creates a critical geographical and logistical bottleneck: while distributed demand exists, customers often lack access to locally available cement. 

Transporting the limited supply of clean bulk materials across the continent to meet this decentralised demand is neither economically viable nor environmentally sound. It is a heavy product that requires complex logistics for distribution, adding significantly to the cost.[6] Further, less than 3 per cent of the freight fleets in the EU are electrified,[7] meaning the transportation is dependent on fossil fuel reliant transportation, which has a fragile supply chain and volatile price in the current geopolitical climate. 

The solution: blockchain-enabled chain of custody (book and claim)

To connect local early supply with dispersed European demand, Heidelberg Materials implemented a chain-of-custody (CoC) model - which is closely related to a ‘book and claim’ system - where verified CO₂ reductions achieved at the Brevik facility can be virtually allocated to cement supplied locally in other markets.[8] Whilst evoZero® Carbon Captured Brevik is produced in and delivered from Brevik, evoZero® Carbon Captured can be delivered from any Heidelberg Materials’ European plant nearby a customer project, aligned with frameworks developed by the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA[A2] ).[9]

The environmental attributes are tracked via a blockchain-backed carbon bank/distributed ledger and independently assured by DNV to ensure transparency and prevent double counting.[10] This solution allows customers across Europe to purchase near-zero cement without altering local material specifications or supply chains, thereby providing the immediate market signals necessary to build the financial case for massive CCS investments. 

Business case and value chain collaboration

The evoZero solution establishes a commercially viable route to scale sustainable construction materials. By decoupling the physical product from its environmental attributes, Heidelberg Materials can unlock a high-value product segment and broaden its market reach. But success will require deep collaboration across the value chain: Heidelberg partnered with a carbon storage provider (Northern Lights), third-party verifier (DNV), life cycle assessment (LCA) experts and real estate developers to refine the methodology, build market confidence and validate the product claim. Heidelberg Materials is also actively scaling this model, with a new CCS project at Padeswood (UK) scheduled for 2029.[1] 

Policy recommendations

Unlocking widespread adoption requires supportive market conditions. High capital costs, limited CO₂ transport infrastructure and the slow integration of CoC methodologies into Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) remain significant barriers. The following are the key policy learnings across CLG Europe’s key priority areas based on Heidelberg Materials’ case:

  • Provide clear, long-term regulatory certainty to justify capital-intensive investments: Under the IAA policy umbrella, this means establishing progressive targets – specifically setting a higher target for embodied carbon content for low carbon cement, as well as setting ambitious definitions for near zero and low carbon products and materials. This would bolster demand through regulatory guardrails.
  • Support the commercialisation of early-stage decarbonisation technologies: By officially recognising chain-of-custody (book and claim) accounting methodologies in EPDs and broader carbon accounting frameworks, policymakers can support technology readiness and enhance market deployment. Producers can distribute early, limited supplies of innovative products to a wider market, by decoupling environmental attributes from the physical materials that generated them.
  • Enable robust co-ordination between industry, third-party verifiers and regulators: Decentralised buyers across Europe can aggregate demand and safely fund centralised clean-tech projects, strengthening the resilience of the entire construction value chain by establishing universally trusted, transparent rules for carbon tracking and carbon banks.

Key policy takeaway

Demand creation and investment support must operate in tandem: Capital support for breakthrough technologies such as CCS is critical, but they will only achieve scale if an accessible, guaranteed market exists for the resulting near-zero products. By combining ambitious public procurement mandates under the IAA with the formal recognition of chain-of-custody accounting, policymakers can instantly bridge the gap between localised early supply and pan-European demand – accelerating the deployment of industrial decarbonisation without disrupting local supply chains.


 

[1] “Our CCUS mission,” Heidelberg Materials, accessed September 29, 2026, https://ccus.heidelbergmaterials.com/en.

[2] “Brevik CCS – world's first carbon-capture facility in the cement industry,” Brevik CSS, accessed September 29, 2026, https://www.brevikccs.com/en.

[3] “The Longship CCS Project,” Gassnova, accessed September 29, 2026, https://ccsnorway.com/the-project/.

[4] Independent Limited Assurance Statement to the Management of Heidelberg Materials AG, accessed October 8, 2026, https://www.evozero.com/system/files/2026-06/DNV%27s_Assurance_Statement_HM_evoZero_EACs_2025_01_Nov-2026_31_March.pdf

[5] “evoZero carbon captured cement,” Heidelberg Materials, accessed September 29, 2026, https://www.heidelbergmaterials.co.uk/en/evozero.

[6] “Key Facts & Figures,” Cement Europe, accessed September 29, 2026, https://cementeurope.eu/industry/key-facts-figures/.

[7] “Race to Zero: European heavy-duty vehicle market development quarterly (January–June 2026),” International Council on Clean Transportation, July 30, 2026, https://theicct.org/publication/eu-hdv-market-development-quarterly-january-june-2026/.

[8] Chandler Randol et al., “Unlocking Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete Through Book and Claim,” RMI, April 8, 2026, https://rmi.org/resources/unlocking-low-carbon-cement-and-concrete-through-book-and-claim/.

[9] “GCCA Book and Claim,” GCCA, accessed September 29, 2026, https://gccassociation.org/gcca-book-and-claim/.

[10] “DNV assurance statements,” evoZero, accessed September 29, 2026, https://www.evozero.com/en/assurance-statements.

[11]  “Heidelberg Materials takes Final Investment Decision for CCS project in UK – construction will start this year,” Heidelberg Materials, September 25, 2025, https://www.heidelbergmaterials.com/en/pr-2025-09-25.