Displaying items by tag: Sustainability
Cemex launches sustainability-linked financing framework
08 September 2021Mexico: Cemex has launched a sustainability-linked financing framework. It says that it is the ‘most comprehensive’ such framework in the building materials sector. The framework further aligns Cemex’s corporate sustainability commitments to its financing strategy, as part of its ‘Future in Action’ program. It establishes Cemex’s guiding principles when issuing new sustainability-linked financing instruments, including public bonds, private placements, loans, derivatives, working capital solutions and other financing instruments. Sustainalytics, an independent company that specialises in providing environmental, social and corporate governance research, ratings and data to institutional investors and companies, validated the framework’s alignment with the Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles, the International Capital Market Association’s Climate Transition Finance Handbook and the Loan Market Association’s Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles.
“Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time, and we will continue to address it as a fundamental component of our business strategy,” said Maher Al-Haffar, Cemex's chief financial officer. “Cemex is committed to increasing the role sustainable finance plays in its capital structure by potentially linking the cost of financial instruments to the achievement of targets, directly aligning our corporate finance strategy to sustainability commitments and further contributing to a low-carbon future.”
Cemex has included three key performance indicators in the framework: net CO2 emissions per tonne of cementitious product, clean electricity consumption and alternative fuels rate. All of them were qualified by Sustainalytics and deemed aligned with the company’s climate action strategy. Cemex currently has a 2030 target of reaching below 475kg/t of CO2 for cementitious products.
Holcim to reduce water intensity of cement production by 33% before 2030
08 September 2021Switzerland: Holcim has announced further details of its ‘nature-positive’ 2030 biodiversity and water management strategy. The producer says that under the strategy it will implement a 33% reduction in its cement operations’ water intensity by 2030. It will reduce the water intensity of its ready-mix concrete operations by 15% over the same period. Across all its activities, it is aiming to achieve water positivity at 75% of its sites and install a water recycling system at every site. The company says that it will continue to develop and deploy its nature-based approach across its products and solutions.
Lafarge Africa presents 2020 Sustainability Report
03 September 2021Nigeria: Lafarge Africa, part of Switzerland-based Holcim, has presented its 2020 Sustainability Report. The company’s sustainability strategy consists of four pillars: climate and energy, circular economy, environment and community. In 2020, it co-processed 71,029t of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and its water intensity was 201/t of cement. It also says it played a leading role in waste management in Nigeria through its partnership with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), creating 3000 new jobs in recycling. In line with its quarry rehabilitation plan, it restored 933ha of land during the year. 9.6% of its energy consumption derived from renewable sources.
Lafarge Africa doubled the number of beneficiaries of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities within its host communities year-on-year to 250,000 in 2020. Its investments in community development initiatives to counteract the Covid-19 outbreak and its impact totalled US$2.92m.
Chair Prince Adefioye said “By deploying innovation, we are championing how Nigeria builds better. It is holistic and strategically driven to ensure that we are scaling in reach and impact in the economic and environmental spheres. In the social sphere, we are also deliberately implementing initiatives that further prepare us for the future such as leveraging technology and improving our diversity indicators.”
Holcim sets 2030 biodiversity and water targets
03 September 2021Switzerland: Holcim has announced a strategy to become ‘nature-positive’ by restoring and preserving biodiversity and water. It will also undertake measures to bring more nature into cities. The strategy is based on transformative rehabilitation plans and measured by a science-based methodology developed in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Holcim aims to replenish freshwater in water-risk areas while lowering water intensity across all its product lines. It will also accelerate the deployment of solutions such as Hydromedia and green roof systems for more liveable urban environments. The group says that its nature-positive strategy places it among the top 1% of the 500 largest global companies with science-driven biodiversity targets.
Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer Magali Anderson said, “With nature at the heart of everything we do, I am pleased that we are taking significant steps to improve our biodiversity and water stewardship in a measurable and science-driven way. Building on our Net Zero commitment, our nature-based solutions play a vital role in reducing the impact of climate change and increasing our business resilience. Becoming nature-positive plays a critical role in our vision to build progress for people and the planet.”
Ambuja Cement saves 70Ml of water with rainwater harvesting systems
02 September 2021India: Ambuja Cement has saved 70Ml of water since the beginning of 2020 through the installation of rooftop rainwater harvesting systems at 268 construction sites across India.
Neeraj Akhoury, the chief executive officer of Ambuja Cement, said "The scope and opportunities for creating a sustainable future are immense. As part of the global organisation, Holcim, Ambuja Cement's ambition is to be a part of the solution to the sustainability challenges faced today. I am pleased with the progress that we have made through our efforts, and we will continue to put into action bolder plans for emission reduction, resource optimisation and water conservation to build a sustainable India."
Holcim Philippines makes sustainability-related appointments
01 September 2021Philippines: Holcim Philippines has appointed Zoe Sibala Senior Vice President of Sustainability and expanded the role of Richard Cruz, Vice President of Health, Safety and Security to include the environment portfolio.
Sibala was Vice President of Strategy from 2017. She held management roles in finance, strategy and business development in Lafarge Philippines’ aggregates unit, which was acquired by Holcim in 2015. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from De La Salle University and a degree in economics from the University of the Philippines.
Cruz was appointed Vice President for Health, Safety and Security in 2018. Prior to this, he held management roles in the department. He joined Holcim Philippines' waste management unit Geocycle as laboratory engineer in 2008 and helped it attain an Integrated Management System certification (Quality, H&S and Environment). A graduate of the Central Luzon State University, Cruz is a licensed chemist and a certified security professional. He holds certifications in health and safety from accrediting organisations such as the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health and the International Safety Rating System.
Belgium: Holcim Belgium is hosting a public meeting as a preliminary step towards applying for a permit to install a new kiln line at its Obourg cement plant in Mons. The line is intended to replace the existing kiln line as it reaches the end of its operational life. The subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim has called the proposed project Go4Zero. The new kiln will be designed to concentrate CO2 emissions to allow for capture and recovery. Limestone for the plant will be extracted from a quarry at Tournaisis and transported to the plant by railway.
Sumitomo Osaka Cement joins Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Decisions Consortium
27 August 2021Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement has joined the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Decisions (TCFD) Consortium. The consortium is committed to facilitating effective and efficient disclosure of climate-related corporate information and their use by financial institutions. As a member, Sumitomo Osaka Cement will conduct scenario analysis on the climate change impacts of all its businesses. This includes its cement business, which the company says accounts for the majority of its CO2 emissions.
South Korea: Sampyo Group has announced a planned investment of US$171m before 2030 to reduce Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions by 35% over the period from an August 2021 baseline. The parent company of Sampyo Cement plans to achieve this in the first phase by increased its use of alternative fuels, improving energy efficiency, introducing low-carbon raw materials such as fly ash and developing sustainable products. The company is targeting net zero CO2 production by 2050.
GCCA India and Energy and Resources Institute sign deal to speed up sustainability in cement and concrete sectors
18 August 2021India: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) India have signed a memorandum of understanding to accelerate sustainable development of cement and concrete sectors. Under the agreement, TERI will provide its domain expertise and knowledge to support GCCA India's work to achieve sustainability in the Indian cement and concrete sector, according to the Press Trust of India. The collaboration will see TERI's involvement in GCCA India work programs while GCCA India and its members will support TERI's projects on technology innovation, energy efficiency enhancement, and resource efficiency implementation.
"The demand for cement and concrete will only increase in the decades to come due to population growth and urbanisation. Therefore, reducing CO2 emissions in the cement and concrete industry is critically important,” said Mahendra Singhi, chairman of GCCA India. He added that working with stakeholders across sectors and with civil society would be essential to reaching the association’s sustainability goals.