OUR NET-ZERO JOURNEY
AN INDUSTRY-LEADING NET-ZERO PLEDGE ACROSS SCOPE 1, 2 AND 3 TARGETS
Holcim was the first global building materials and solutions company to have its 2030 and 2050 net-zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for all scopes. Addressing both direct and indirect impacts, these objectives will guide our low-carbon strategy for decades to come.
Scope 1 emissions
Accounting for 75% of our carbon footprint, scope 1 emissions include all CO2 emissions released directly from our operations – primarily during cement production. They form the core of our net-zero strategy.
Scope 2 emissions
Part of our pledge commitment, scope 2 emissions include indirect CO2 emissions produced during power generation to run equipment owned or controlled by Holcim. They account for 5% of our carbon footprint.
Scope 3 emissions
Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions generated in our supply chain, such as extraction and production of purchased materials, fuels and transportation. They account for 20% of our carbon footprint.
Our reduction ambitions
Holcim is committed to taking the following strategic actions to achieve net-zero in our scope 1 emissions:
Energy efficiency
Promoting carbon efficiency by reducing the amount of concrete or cement required per square meter of construction
Alternative raw materials
Substituting waste materials and by-products from other industries for raw materials in the production process
Clinker factor
Replacing clinker with alternative mineral components to reduce the carbon intensity of our cement products
Thermal substitution rate
Using pretreated non-recyclable and biomass waste fuels instead of fossil fuels in cement kiln operations
CCUS and other technologies
Deploying large-scale carbon capture solutions in partnership with leaders in various sectors
A range of factors are involved in reducing our scope 2 emissions to net-zero:
Wind power for our plants
Building wind turbines to contribute to our plants’ electricity needs, which reduce CO2 emissions by 9,000 metric tons per year at our Paulding, Ohio (US) plant alone
Waste heat recovery
Repurposing excess heat from cement kilns to generate electricity, with plans to triple the number of waste heat recovery units we own by 2030
Decarbonizing power supply
Expanding renewable energy production by installing new wind and solar farms and partnering with decarbonized power suppliers
With our scope 3 intermediate targets validated by SBTi, we are prioritizing the following actions to reduce emissions in this category:
Downstream transportation
- Optimizing routes and loads
- Prioritizing waterways and rail over road transport
- Training drivers to improve road safety and reduce fuel consumption
- Gradually replacing diesel with eco-friendly fuels
Fuels and energy
Replacing traditional fossil fuels with locally sourced, alternative and non-extractive fuels derived from waste
Purchased clinker and cement
Requiring CO2 information from our clinker and cement suppliers to facilitate purchase of low-carbon products
Other products and services
- Integrating CO2 requirements into the tendering process
- Eliminating the use of carbon-intensive fuels through innovative technologies such as autonomous electric haulers
