In an article published on energygame.gr, Stavros Gennitsaris, Industrial Policy Associate at The Green Tank, highlights the potential of Green Public Procurement (GPP) as a lever for decarbonizing the cement industry.
The sector’s continued reliance on fossil fuels keeps energy costs both high and volatile, while weakening core climate policies such as the EU Emissions Trading System is unlikely to offer a sustainable solution, he notes. Instead, decarbonization is essential not only for tackling the climate crisis but also for strengthening industrial resilience and competitiveness.
Although carbon capture and storage (CCS) is often presented as a key solution, it comes with high costs and significant technical challenges. For this reason, it cannot be considered a silver bullet for industrial decarbonisation. A mix of solutions is needed instead, aimed at improving energy efficiency, electrifying industrial processes, and using alternative fuels for heat production.
In this context, GPP can play a transformative role. By leveraging the public sector’s significant purchasing power, it can create stable demand for low-carbon construction materials, such as green cement, and send a strong signal to accelerate investment in clean technologies.
Strengthening and effectively implementing GPP in Greece will be critical to advancing a more competitive and climate-neutral cement industry, he concludes.
Read the full article [in Greek] here.
