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The production of cement and aggregates depends on long-term access to raw materials acquired through quarrying. We plan our raw material extraction, management and reporting according to a defined process that assesses our impacts at each stage of quarry operation. We are also aware of the importance of water as a natural resource and acknowledge that its growing scarcity in many locations is a key issue.
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Conserving the ecosystem and biodiversity
Rehabilitation guidelines and plans are implemented by almost all cement quarries, resulting in many conservation and restoration projects. Previous quarry sites now host habitats such as wetlands, forests and natural grasslands.
We recognize that quarrying activity has an impact on biodiversity and are committed to conducting environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) following WBCSD CSI guidelines. Our partnership with IUCN, aimed at developing new standards for biodiversity conservation, extends and builds on our efforts.
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Managing water resources
Cement production requires water mainly for cooling heavy equipment and exhaust gases. Water is also required for preparing slurry in wet process kilns, which consume more water than modern dry process cement plants. Some water is discharged as process effluent, and can be affected by the presence of solids, altered pH or high temperatures. Installation of closed-loop water cycles or settling ponds helps reduce water use. Installation of water meters also improves monitoring and efficiency of water management.
Our aggregates and other construction materials businesses also require significant quantities of water (see data below).
We remain committed to improving the level of our reporting in this area and are investigating the implementation of comprehensive water monitoring systems at all operations, and will communicate on our progress in the future.
A case study on local water management in India can be found in the right hand navigation.
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Global agreement with the International Union for Conservation of Nature
Holcim and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) signed a cooperation agreement in early 2007 to work jointly on ecosystem conservation and biodiversity issues relevant to the building materials sector. Within this framework, a 5 member independent expert panel was established in 2008 with a remit to advise Holcim on key elements for a biodiversity strategy. So far, the panel members have visited Holcim sites in Spain, Indonesia, Hungary, Belgium and the US to review Holcim’s current practices. The visits also included meetings and discussions with government agencies, NGO’s and local community leaders, which provided an opportunity for the panel to assess how biodiversity is perceived locally and to learn about the relevant issues in the area of the Holcim sites.
In addition to the global agreement, local agreements are in place in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Spain between Holcim and IUCN.
Find out more about the ongoing cooperation activities with IUCN here:
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Other environmental performance data for cement, aggregates and ready-mix concrete - Water, quarry management and rehabilitation
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Cement |
Aggregates |
Ready-Mix |
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2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
| Water |
| Water consumption l/t |
330 |
340 |
320 |
621 |
647 |
621 |
280 l/m3 |
240 l/m3 |
230 l/m3 |
| Total million m3/a |
53 |
56 |
47 |
102 |
104 |
91 |
11 |
10 |
10 |
| Water recyclings systems |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
47% |
50% |
45% |
72% |
72% |
72% |
| Quarry management and rehabilitation |
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| % of plants operating in sensitive areas |
27 |
30% |
28% |
14% |
17% |
14% |
4% |
8% |
8% |
| Approved mining plans by local authorities |
97% |
94% |
95% |
83% |
87% |
83% |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
| Rehabilitation plans in place |
89% |
90% |
91% |
81% |
81% |
82% |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
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Absolute water consumption has decreased, partly due to lower production volumes in 2008. The reduction in the percentage of aggregates sites which reported water recycling systems is a result of changes to the composition of sites reporting.
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"Holcim’s need for independent advice on assessing and mitigating its biodiversity footprint was a welcome opportunity for IUCN. We share the belief with Holcim that stopping biodiversity loss is one of the major issues of our time and can only be addressed by working together."
Julia Marton-Lefèvre,
Director General, IUCN |
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