Defossilising non-metallic mineral industries: Developments in high-temperature heat, hard-to-abate emissions, and policy implications

The non-metallic mineral industries, specifically glass and cement, are among the most challenging sectors to defossilise due to high-temperature heat demands and process-related emissions. This study investigates defossilisation pathways by combining insights from expert interviews with a targeted literature comparison with the aim of qualitatively enriching the industry transition discourse, deepening the understanding of structural barriers, and suggesting policy options. The empirical core focuses on the glass industry, drawing on semi-structured interviews, while the cement sector is addressed through additional exploratory expert interviews and literature insights; ceramics are briefly included for contextual comparison.The findings highlight diverging views between industry experts, as well as scientific and technical literature, particularly regarding best available technologies and fuel-switching feasibility. Across industries, insufficient power grid capacity, renewable fuel availability, missing green hydrogen and carbon dioxide infrastructure, and uncertain market acceptance further complicate emission reduction efforts. Based on expert-literature alignment, the study derives policy recommendations focusing on financial support, regulatory simplifications, targeted cross-industry infrastructure investment, strategic fuel planning, and the implementation of green lead markets to create business cases for green products. This research closes a critical knowledge gap by combining applied industry expertise with theoretical insights into policy-relevant conclusions for industrial defossilisation pathways.