Displaying items by tag: Sustainability

Italy: The Italian cement and concrete association Federbeton says that investments in sustainable technologies in domestic cement production totalled Euro110m between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2019. This reduced carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 311,000t in 2019 alone, up by 12% year-on-year from the reduction in 2018. An increased alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate of 6.7% in 2019 contributed to the reduction, up by 0.7% from 6.6%. Producers’ full-year AF consumption was 1.6Mt.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement has formulated a set of medium-term goals and long-term policies in order to enable it to achieve carbon neutrality, in line with the Japanese government’s target, by 2050. These consist of a 30% reduction in energy-derived carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions intensity between 2005 and 2030 and efforts toward carbon neutrality in energy and process-derived emissions by 2050. These efforts include: “reduction to the limit of fossil energy, development and introduction of process-derived CO₂ emission reduction technology, carbon-free electric power, technology development and supply expansion related to low-carbon cement and concrete products, development and supply of innovative bonding materials and development and introduction of innovative technology related to carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS).”

UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has launched an updated version of its biodiversity strategy, first published in 2013. The new strategy “commits the MPA and its members to continuing to take a positive approach to nature conservation and recovery, leaving behind more and better quality habitats than before mineral extraction and a net gain in biodiversity wherever possible, through site selection, management, restoration and aftercare,” according to the association. It sets out the commitment under eight actions, which include “monitoring to identify what works best and inform future work, sharing and celebrating good practice and successes throughout the industry, influencing policy and using our assets to engage and educate.”

Chief executive officer (CEO) Nigel Jackson said, “The minerals industry is uniquely placed to contribute to conservation and enhancement of biodiversity and has an unrivalled legacy compared to other industrial sectors. I am immensely proud of what our members have achieved and excited about what they can and will do in the future. It is high time that our significant contributions are properly recognised by policy and decision makers, to help provide our members with the support to continue doing what they do best. I believe we may be the only business sector that has been actively contributing to nature recovery at scale for so long that our strategy is unique. I will not rest until government, particularly the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), acknowledges that environmental expertise and action is not the sole preserve of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and activists. Our members have built a significant legacy and have vast practical experience of working in and with the environment to enhance and protect nature. We don’t just talk a good game, we deliver it on the ground.”

Germany: HeidelbergCement has strengthened its climate neutrality commitments by joining the Stiftung 2° support group, a network of private companies lobbying for climate goals. The group says that it wants “to develop cross-sector approaches and concepts for Germany and Europe in order to make climate protection a sustainable and successful business model.”

Managing board chair Dominik von Achten said, "For the development of a carbon neutral construction industry, we need the right social and political framework as well as strong partners with whom we can also be economically successful on our path to climate neutrality. As one of the leading companies in the building materials industry, we have been committed to sustainable construction for a long time. Through our involvement in Stiftung 2°, we want to work with other like-minded companies and set the course for a successful, climate neutral future now."

Switzerland/France: Along with its partner Batica, LafargeHolcim is optimising the design of a low-carbon house, bringing together the latest innovations developed by the group's global research and development centre in Lyon, France.

Construction of the House of Tomorrow began at the end of October 2020 in Saint-Caprais-de-Bordeaux, Gironde. The materials used for its construction will have a CO₂ footprint more than 40% lower than a traditional house, and an optimised energy performance. The integration of these innovations in the house has made it possible for such a property to remain financially accessible to buyers thanks to controlled costs.

To achieve low CO₂ emissions performance, LafargeHolcim used its innovative cement and concrete products, all of which are available on the French market. Foundations were poured using ECOPact AA concrete, with emissions 80% lower than standard concrete. ECOPact A concrete, with CO₂ emissions 50-70% lower than standard concrete, will be used for the compression slab of the VS floor (crawl space). Airium, an insulating mineral foam, will be used to insulate the walls. A very low density concrete – 40-300kg/m³ depending on the mix – Airium represents an environmentally friendly, healthy and affordable insulation solution. LafargeHolcim’s Agilia Chape Thermic fluid screed will be used to coat the under-floor heating elements.

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) says it plans to develop a roadmap by the end of 2021 to help its member companies achieve carbon neutrality across the concrete value chain by 2050. It maintains that ‘concrete is critical to building a sustainable future’ and reinforced the benefits of concrete such as energy efficiency, lower life-cycle costs, durability and resilience. The roadmap is intended to solve problems facing the industry such as developing new technologies to reduce energy consumption and to develop and adopt related regulations.

“As the second most used material on earth and a cornerstone of our economy, we understand the critical role cement and concrete play in our nation’s future, and we are committed to an industry-wide effort that achieves carbon neutrality,” said Tom Beck, chairman of the PCA and president of Continental Cement. Rick Bohan, Vice President, Sustainability for the PCA added, “Developing a roadmap to carbon neutrality by 2050 further demonstrates our industry’s commitment to be a part of the solution and tackle this global issue.”

The PCA says that the industry has reduced energy consumption by 35%, emissions intensity by 11% and since 1990 has increased its use of alternative fuels.

Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has launched a Euro850m sustainability-linked bond with a coupon of 0.5% maturing in 2031. It says it is the first bond of its kind in the building materials industry and that it is part of its commitment to reach its 2030 CO₂ reduction target.

“We are proud to be the first in our industry to launch a sustainability-linked bond. The order book of Euro2.6bn demonstrates the confidence of investors in the company’s financial strength, strategy and ability to deliver on its sustainability targets,” said Géraldine Picaud, Chief Financial Officer of LafargeHolcim.

Bond investors will be entitled to a higher coupon should the company not meet its objective, incentivising LafargeHolcim to reach its target of 475kg net CO₂ per tonne of cementitious material by 2030.

India: UltraTech Cement says it has beaten its goal of doubling its energy productivity ahead of its deadline. It joined the EP100 initiative in 2018 and agreed to double its energy productivity from the base year of 2010 with the target year of 2035. It has achieved this by investing in energy efficiency measures such as upgrading clinker coolers, implementing variable frequency drives to manage electricity flow, and introducing new waste heat recovery systems. The company says it is focusing on new technologies, changes in product and energy mix, digitisation and carbon pricing. It foresees the digitisation of its energy performance as a key enabler for identifying the best opportunities to save energy.

"UltraTech firmly believes that companies in the building material sector can come together to step up climate action for meeting the global 1.5-degree ambition. Joining like-minded companies in EP100 gave us an opportunity to accelerate and scale-up levers to double energy productivity and also drive the decarbonisation agenda,” said Kailash Jhanwar, the managing director of UltraTech Cement.

EP100 is a global business initiative consisting of a group of companies committed to improving their energy productivity. EP100 is led by the Climate Group, an international non-profit organisation, in partnership with the Alliance to Save Energy.

Colombia: Cementos Argos is celebrating its inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the eighth consecutive year. The company said that the listing acknowledges its “good practices in economic, environmental and social matters.” Its owner Grupo Argos came second in the materials sector, which accounted for 4.3% of the total index weight, while the company itself came third. The index also highlighted it within the Latin American Integrated Market (MILA)-Pacific Alliance.

The company said, “One of the main advantages of this index is that it is a lever to promote cutting-edge business practices that seek to improve the impact of companies on society and the environment and, increasingly, to strengthen their relationship with different interest groups, whether they are communities, investors, suppliers, employees or authorities, among others.”

US: The Department of Energy has granted Cemex funding to “research and develop innovative carbon capture technology” at its Balcones, Texas cement plant. The company says that this will partly fund an 18-month feasibility study of partner company Membrane Technology & Research’s membrane carbon capture product at the plant. It says that, if successful, the study will be “an important advancement towards Cemex’s ambition to deliver net-zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) concrete globally by 2050.”

USA president Jaime Muguiro said, “At Cemex, sustainability is embedded in our operations and we are consistently looking for opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint. We strive to develop and gradually adapt new technology which will help us achieve our ambition to deliver net-zero CO₂ concrete to all of our customers. With this grant, we will be able to leverage our expertise to define the feasibility of implementing the membrane carbon capture technology in a cost-effective manner.”

Membrane Technology & Research has supplied membrane-based separation systems to the petrochemical, natural gas, and refining industries since 1992. Vice President of Technology Tim Merkel said, “Cement plant emissions are a good target for the CO2 capture membrane technology that we’ve been developing with Department of Energy support.” He added, “We look forward to working with Cemex on this exciting project to confirm that our technology can capture cement plant emissions at a minimal cost.”