NIM Industry Insights Series – Net-Zero Cement: Building a Sustainable Future

Urban Peyker is the Head of the Industry, Enterprise, and Financing department at the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund. He leads initiatives to promote sustainable industrial practices and drive Austria’s transition to clean energy. Previously, he managed programs on Smart Grids, Hydrogen and Industrial Decarbonisation at the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). He has also worked as an energy efficiency consultant and as an energy market analyst. Peyker plays a key role in funding and supporting projects that enhance energy efficiency, sustainability, and climate innovation. His leadership contributes significantly to Austria’s climate goals and the advancement of green technologies.

Paul leads the GCCA’s work on outreach and engagement to positively position the industry and achieve global recognition for concrete as the sustainable building material of choice. Paul has extensive experience in reputation and public affairs, working for global business, industries and governments around the world.

Anne Dekeukelaere is a leading expert in cement and decarbonisation, currently serving as Executive Director of the Centre for Worldwide Sustainable Construction (CWSC) at EPFL. She has extensive experience in the cement industry, including over a decade with Holcim, where she played a key role in sustainability and alternative fuels. As the founder and Managing Director of Cementis, she advises global cement producers and organizations like the EBRD and IFC on CO₂ mitigation and sustainable strategies. She has served as the cement lead during COP29 and currently serves as facilitator to the “Cement and Concrete Breakthrough Initiative.”

In his role as Senior Business Development Manager CCUS at Holcim, Florian Kleinwächter is focusing on the planning and implementation of CO2 logistics beyond plant boundaries—including transport, storage, and utilization of CO2—while developing logistics solutions and infrastructure projects for the C2B initiatives at Holcim’s three German cement plant locations. He previously held leadership roles, including Managing Director at SMART & GREEN Mukran Concrete GmbH and Administration Manager at Wasco Coatings Germany GmbH, demonstrating his expertise in project management and sustainable development.

Dr. Davide Zampini is the Vice President of CEMEX´s Global R&D and based in Switzerland. He leads a multi disciplinary group of top scientists and specialists that spearhead new technologies and solutions for the world’s building materials market.

Dr Alan Monaghan, Global Mission Coordinator of the Net-Zero Industries Mission, is a physicist, specialising in developing and delivering executive level strategy and change programs, from organisational restructures and project delivery capability establishment, through to the special risk management needed for technology development, implementation and commercialisation. He is currently the Senior Vice President of the global Technology & Expert Solutions team for Worley’s Resources sector, where Worley’s global SME pool is engaged to provide high priority customer solutions, across innovation and solution validation, through to project delivery, including leading their First of a Kind technology delivery and external technology partnership programs.