Climate‌ ‌Lobbying‌ ‌Overview:‌ ‌‌CEMEX appears to be strategically engaging on climate change policy in the EU and US. The company is supportive in its top-line messaging on high-level climate ambition and the energy transition, and its engagement on key climate policies has become more positive since 2021. However, CEMEX still takes more mixed positions on some market-based policies in the EU, such as the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: CEMEX appears to be supportive of climate action in its top-line communications. The CEO Fernando González signed a joint letter in May 2022 to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen advocating for limiting global warming to 1.5°C and supporting the EU’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The CEO also appeared supportive of the US’s increased climate ambition in an April 2021 earnings call. CEMEX supports ambitious government policy to respond to climate change. The company and its CEO signed a joint letter in May 2022 strongly supporting the EU’s Fit for 55 package. In January 2023, on social media, the company advocated for more ambitious government action in the UK to achieve net-zero by 2050. CEMEX supported the UN Paris Agreement on its US corporate website, accessed in November 2021, and on social media in the same month it stated support for COP26.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: CEMEX takes mostly supportive positions when engaging on climate change regulations. The company signed a joint letter in June 2021 to EU policymakers supporting GHG legislation, including the increased 2030 GHG target of 55%, the 2035 zero-emission standard for light duty vehicles, CO2 standards for climate neutral products and the Effort Sharing Regulation. It also supported the UK Future Homes Standard to reduce emissions from new homes on its corporate website, accessed in June 2022.

CEMEX’s CEO signed a joint letter in May 2022 strongly supporting a more ambitious reform of the EU ETS. However, on its corporate website accessed in November 2021, the company did not seem to support reforms such as strengthening the Market Stability Reserve and reducing the free allocation of emissions allowances. In its 2021 CDP disclosure, CEMEX also advocated to weaken California’s emissions trading scheme by allowing the free allocation of allowances, and supported a carbon border adjustment mechanism to complement the free allowances. The company signed a joint letter in June 2021 supporting the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) without specifying a position on the phase out of free emissions allowances in the EU ETS. The news outlet Echodonia reported in May 2022 that CEMEX supported a gradual reduction of the free allocation of emissions allowances alongside a CBAM.

CEMEX supported energy efficiency legislation for buildings based on a life cycle analysis on its website, accessed November 2021. The CEO signed an open letter in May 2022 strongly supporting more ambitious reforms of the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Renovation Wave and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. In the same letter he also supported a more ambitious reform of the Renewable Energy Directive. However, on its corporate website accessed in November 2021, the company suggested that energy intensive companies should receive compensation for renewable energy levies.

Positioning on Energy Transition: CEMEX appears to generally support the energy transition. In its 2021 Integrated Report, published in March 2022, the company supported transitioning the energy mix and clean electricity. In a February 2022 press release, the company [939357 stated support for the decarbonization of the buildings sector. In February 2022 the Financial Times reported that CEMEX supported regulatory frameworks to support replacing fossil fuels with alternative fuels, namely waste from municipal and industrial sources, in the cement production process. The CEO signed an open letter to EU Commission President in May 2022 advocating for a more ambitious revision of the Energy Taxation Directive and a stronger RePowerEU initiative. In feedback on the EU Commission’s proposal for a Delegated Act on GHG emissions savings from recycled carbon fuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) in June 2022, Cemex was opposed to the proposed cutoff date of 2035 for recycled fuels from non-sustainable sources captured through CCS to be considered as avoided emissions.

Industry Association Governance: CEMEX disclosed a partial list of its memberships of industry associations in its 2021 Integrated Report, published in 2022, but with no further details of the company's role within each organization's governing bodies nor their climate change policy positions. The company has not published a review of alignment with its industry associations. CEMEX retains memberships to various industry associations which are negatively lobbying on key climate policies, including CEMBUREAU and Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE).

InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q1 2023.