Care for the Environment
Holcim is committed to continuously improving its environmental performance and making a positive contribution to nature.
Our strategic commitment is to operate in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. We recognize that our world’s precious resources are finite. That’s why we are embracing circular operations and doing our part to build better with less. By reducing, regenerating and recycling materials whenever possible, we are decarbonizing building for a net-zero future.
This must be achieved through a process of continuous improvement in the field of environmental performance using effective environmental management systems.
There are four main pillars of our Environmental Policy, for which we have set principles that guide our progress.
-
Environmental Management Systems
All our facilities implement an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) to manage their overall environmental responsibilities and assess their overall environmental performance.
All the activities comply with the environmental legislation, the regulations and standards that apply to our products and operations, and endorse industry-leading initiatives and internal requirements.
We promote our commitment through training and integration into business processes. As part of the selection process that we implement, we evaluate the environmental policies and practices of our key suppliers and subcontractors. Our contractors and suppliers must respect and comply with our environmental policies and procedures.
We carry out due diligence in terms of acquisitions and divestments.
We encourage the development and dissemination of environmentally friendly technologies. We use secure technologies and operating procedures, to reduce the exposure of our workers and our communities to risks to the environment, health and safety.
We transform our commitments into actions, setting corporate goals, monitoring our progress in achieving them.
-
Environmental impacts
We evaluate and measure our environmental impacts, constantly improving processes, tools and capabilities and promoting good practices in our industry. We encourage the analysis of the impact on the lifespan time of our products and applications.
Environmental objectives
We are developing and implementing effective controls, in order to monitor, minimise or prevent the release of pollutants into the environment (atmosphere, water and soil) from our activities with the aim of:
-
Minimising dust emissions from point sources as well as diffuse emissions
-
Minimising the gaseous pollutant emissions (NOx, SO2)
-
Systematic monitoring and recording of emissions of heavy metals and permanent pollutants in accordance with the applicable legal framework.
We are restricting our impact upon climate change with the following strategy:
-
Developing, producing or promoting innovative and sustainable products and solutions
-
Optimising energy use and improving our energy efficiency, energy recovery and the use of renewable energy sources
-
Reducing the use of non - renewable resources and, where it is technically and economically safe and appropriate, replacing them with alternative raw materials, alternative fuels and biomass.
We are reusing, recovering and / or recycling the waste from our production processes wherever possible, minimize the generation of hazardous and other waste and dispose of the waste with safe and responsible methods.
