Per Brevik will soon retire. He has promised his climate-engaged youngest daughter that he will do everything to make his employer, one of the world's largest building materials manufacturers, Heidelberg Cement, a sustainable company.

The only problem is that in the production of cement itself, when the raw material calcium carbonate is heated, carbon dioxide is released. There are currently no alternatives to the ancient chemical process. Therefore, Heidelberg, which aims to be climate neutral by 2030, instead wants to capture the carbon dioxide they emit.

Complicated and expensive

The cement industry accounts for up to eight percent of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, a significant reduction in emissions can have major positive effects.

But the project has dragged on over time despite several testing facilities. The technology is complicated and expensive. The Norwegian government has already invested several billion in the trials, but no one wants to pay the total cost of the three plants, including transport and storage.

According to the current government, the cost will land at around SEK 15 billion for a three-year period. A former government has estimated the cost to be over 25 billion excluding transport and storage.

"One company cannot go before and not the others"

Heidelberg's profit in 2018 was approximately SEK 13 billion. However, the profitable company does not want to bear the greatest cost itself.

- It is clear that the cement industry has made money. But that is what they are expected to do. So one company cannot go ahead and not the others, says Per Brevik, at Heidelberg Cement, which means that customers will instead choose cheaper cement from companies that have not invested in climate measures.