We have expanded the list of climate policies we assess company engagement with to incorporate land-use related policy, referring to legislative or regulatory measures to enhance and protect ecosystems and land where carbon is being stored. Assessments under this category are currently underweighted in terms of their contribution to the overall company metrics. This weighting will be progressively increased over the next 6 months.
We adjusted the terminology used to describe the queries running down the left-hand side of our scoring matrix and added additional explanatory text to the info-boxes. This has no impact on the scores and methodology. It has been done following user feedback to improve clarity.
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Senior executives of HeidelbergCement are on the board of CEMBUREAU (Multiple members on the board results in higher score)
Karel Chuděj, Giv Brantenberg and Christian Knell
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
HeidelbergCement is a member of CEMBUREAU
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
A senior executive of HeidelbergCement is on the senior advisory council of Cembureau
R. van der Meer
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Change over of Presidency
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
A senior excutive of HeidelbergCement is president of Cembureau (2015-2017)
Daniel Gauthier
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Senior executives of HeidelbergCement are on the board of CEMBUREAU (Multiple members on the board results in higher score)
Karel Chuděj, Giv Brantenberg and Christian Knell
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
HeidelbergCement is a member of CEMBUREAU
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
A senior executive of HeidelbergCement is on the senior advisory council of Cembureau
R. van der Meer
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Change over of Presidency
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
A senior excutive of HeidelbergCement is president of Cembureau (2015-2017)
Daniel Gauthier
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A Senior Executive of HeidelbergCement is a President of VDZ. Other senior executives are on the board of directors [Scorer's note: multiple representatives on the board results in higher score]
Christian Knell, Dr. Bernhard Kleinsorge, Ottmar Walter
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
HeidelbergCement is a full member of VDZ
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A Senior Executive of HeidelbergCement is a Vice-President of VDZ
Knell, Christian
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A Senior Executive of HeidelbergCement is a President of VDZ. Other senior executives are on the board of directors [Scorer's note: multiple representatives on the board results in higher score]
Christian Knell, Dr. Bernhard Kleinsorge, Ottmar Walter
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
HeidelbergCement is a full member of VDZ
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A Senior Executive of HeidelbergCement is a Vice-President of VDZ
Knell, Christian
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of HeidelbergCement is on the Executive and Presidential Board of BDI (correct as of January 2023)
Dr. Dominik von Achten
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
In a review of industry association alignment, the company stated it is on the board of the BDI. The company stated it disagrees with influencer on some issues but agrees on others, moving from partially misaligned to partially aligned, and has not put group on clear, time-bound review.
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
In a review of industry association alignment, the company stated it disagrees with influencer on some issues but agrees on others, and has not put group on clear, time-bound review.
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
HeidelbergCement is an indirect member of BDI through VCI
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of HeidelbergCement is on the Executive and Presidential Board of BDI (correct as of January 2023)
Dr. Dominik von Achten
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
In a review of industry association alignment, the company stated it is on the board of the BDI. The company stated it disagrees with influencer on some issues but agrees on others, moving from partially misaligned to partially aligned, and has not put group on clear, time-bound review.
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
In a review of industry association alignment, the company stated it disagrees with influencer on some issues but agrees on others, and has not put group on clear, time-bound review.
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
HeidelbergCement is an indirect member of BDI through VCI
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of subsidiary Hanson UK is chair of the MPA board and Hanson is present in the relevant working groups according to its industry association review
Simon Willis
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement, Hanson UK, is a member of MPA
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of subsidiary Hanson UK is chair of the MPA board and Hanson is present in the relevant working groups according to its industry association review
Simon Willis
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement, Hanson UK, is a member of MPA
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Senior executive is President of the Comisión de Unión Europea (Updated January 2023)
Jesús Ortiz Used
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Senior executive is President of the Comisión de Unión Europea (Updated January 2023)
Jesús Ortiz Used
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of Lehigh Hanson, a HeidelbergCement subsidiary, is on the board of the Portland Cement Association (Last Checked February 2023)
Chris Ward
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
In a 2021 review of industry association alignment, the company stated it is aligned with influencer on climate policy
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
In a review of industry association alignment, the company stated it disagrees with influencer on some issues but agrees on others, and has not put group on clear, time-bound review
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of Lehigh Hanson, a HeidelbergCement subsidiary, is on the board of the Portland Cement Association (Last Checked February 2023)
Chris Ward
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
In a 2021 review of industry association alignment, the company stated it is aligned with influencer on climate policy
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
In a review of industry association alignment, the company stated it disagrees with influencer on some issues but agrees on others, and has not put group on clear, time-bound review
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
HeidelbergCement stated in a December 2022 industry association review it is misaligned with CMA on several issues such as carbon pricing and support for advanced technologies
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
HeidelbergCement India is a member of Cement Manufacturers Association
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
HeidelbergCement stated in a December 2022 industry association review it is misaligned with CMA on several issues such as carbon pricing and support for advanced technologies
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
HeidelbergCement India is a member of Cement Manufacturers Association
not specified
In this section, we depict graphically the relationships the corporation has with trade associations, federations, advocacy groups and other third parties who may be acting on their behalf to influence climate change policy. Each of the columns above represents one relationship the corporation appears to have with such a third party. In these columns, the top, dark section represents the strength of the relationship the corporation has with the influencer. For example if a corporation's senior executive also held a key role in the trade association, we would deem this to be a strong relationship and it would be on the far left of the chart above, with the weaker ones to the right. Click on these grey shaded upper sections for details of these relationships. The middle section contains a link to the organization score details of the influencer concerned, so you can see the details of its climate change policy influence. Click on the middle sections for for details of the trade associations. The lower section contains the organization score of that influencer, the lower the more negatively it is influencing climate policy.
Open PDF file of Data Source
Climate Lobbying Overview: HeidelbergCement seems to strategically engage with climate change with supportive positions, although with several exceptions. The company appears to have become less oppositional to climate policy over time, increasing support for top-line climate ambition and the energy transition between 2020-22. However, it continues to advocate to weaken the ambition of several key climate regulations in the EU, such as the EU Emissions Trading System.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: HeidelbergCement broadly supports climate action in its top-line messaging on climate policy. The company has consistently supported limiting global warming to 1.5°C, for example, in its 2021 Annual Report, published in March 2022. In a review of its industry association membership published in December 2022, HeidelbergCement seemed to support government policy to respond to climate change, but has consistently stressed preference for a global framework and global level playing field conditions. In a meeting with EU Commissioner Breton in March 2021, sourced from a Freedom of Information Request, the company advocated for the need for a combination of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ measures, such as incentives and standardization, in the Fit for 55 package and close coordination with the Industrial Policy at EU and national levels. In a review of its industry association membership published in December 2022, the organization supported the UN Paris Agreement and complementary initiatives.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: HeidelbergCement appears to engage on climate change regulation with mixed positions. On its corporate website, accessed in January 2022, the company supported the EU Commission’s proposed reforms to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), but also advocated for the continuation of the free allocation of emissions allowances to protect against carbon leakage, a position which is misaligned with the EU Commission. In its 2021 CDP Disclosure, HeidelbergCement suggested that changes to existing carbon leakage protection should only happen gradually. In a July 2021 earnings call, the Chairman Dominik von Achten suggested that the free allocation of emissions allowances in the EU ETS could begin to be phased out once the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) became fully effective, a position which is misaligned with the EU Commission’s proposal.
In a review of its industry association membership published in December 2022, HeidelbergCement supported policies to scale up renewable energy generation capacity. In the same review, HeidelbergCement advocated for policy to scale up low-carbon cement on the demand side, including improving product and construction norms, as well as building codes and incentives such as green public procurement schemes.
Positioning on Energy Transition: HeidelbergCement takes mixed positions on the energy transition. In its industry association review in December 2021, the company advocated for hydrogen produced with any fuel in the short-term, not clearly excluding hydrogen produced with fossil fuels, with green hydrogen production as a long-term goal in the review. HeidelbergCement was supportive of alternative fuels to replace fossil fuels in the cement production process, including non-recyclable waste and biomass, in its December 2022 industry association review, and strongly supported a policy framework for carbon capture utilization and storage. The CEO Dominik von Achten supported the US Infrastructure Bill to invest in climate-friendly infrastructure in a March 2021 earnings call. In June 2022 in feedback to the EU Commission, HeidelbergCement did not support the proposed cutoff date of 2035 for the consideration of the capturing of emissions from non-sustainable sources as avoided emissions in the Renewable Energy Directive Delegated Act on Recycled Carbon Fuels and Renewable Fuels of Non-biological Origin.
Industry Association Governance: HeidelbergCement published a detailed review of its alignment with industry associations in December 2022, but did not disclose all of the memberships it retains, such as the Spanish Business Federation (CEOE). The company retains positions on the boards of several industry associations which are lobbying negatively on climate policy, including CEMBUREAU and the Federation of German Industries (BDI).
A detailed assessment of the company's industry association review can be found on our CA100+ webpage here.
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.