CEMBUREAU has announced the election of a new president and vice president to steer the European cement association for the next two years.
Jon Morrish has been elected as president while José Antonio Cabrera has been confirmed as vice president. The pair will be responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation for the next two years.
Morrish takes over from outgoing president Ken McKnight, who reflected at the association’s recent general assembly on his tenure.
“I am looking back with pride at what has been achieved over the past two years. The 2050 Net Zero roadmap update, published in May 2024, shows a strong ambition from our industry to continue on its decarbonisation journey,” McKnight said.
“We seized the opportunity of the publication of the clean industrial deal and accompanying initiatives to strongly endorse the policy conditions that are essential to support the competitiveness of the cement industry going forward.
“My sincere gratitude goes out to the CEMBUREAU membership for the valuable input and continued dedication to CEMBUREAU’s activities. I also thank my fellow board members for supporting the CEMBUREAU strategic review which prepares the association for the future when it comes to its narrative, governance structure, and working conditions.”
CEMBUREAU has full members including 23 national cement industry associations and cement companies of the European Union (except for Malta) plus Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. Croatia, Serbia and Slovakia are Associate Members of CEMBUREAU.
“More than ever, there is a strong sense of urgency in delivering the framework policy conditions for investment in Europe. The clean industrial deal is a welcome initiative but needs swift and transparent implementation,” Morrish said.
“Through our roadmap, we have shown commitment towards the ambitious climate action targets set by the EU. For the delivery of our projects, we need more than target setting, we need decisionmakers who demonstrate genuine commitment by providing a regulatory framework that is simple, business-enhancing, and creates predictability to support long-term investment decisions.
“As president, I will lend full support to the development of a cement action plan that will lay out the key competitiveness drivers and transition enablers for industry to deliver on its credentials for a low carbon future.”
Cabrera said he and Morrish would work together to deliver positive outcomes for CEMBUREAU members.
“I am delighted to contribute to CEMBUREAU’s activities at this critical juncture. Echoing the President’s comments, we will work as a team with the CEMBUREAU membership to proactively engage with decision makers and external stakeholders,” he said.
“Europe is faced with significant challenges such as the energy transition, infrastructure development, access to affordable housing, and defence reform.
“The significant investment ambition of our industry can help turning these challenges into opportunities and we stand ready to engage on what it takes to secure a globally competitive investment environment in Europe that provides long-term stability and allows to drive demand for sustainable cement and concrete applications.”
