Fighting climate change

Lafarge is aware of challenge which climate change presents for the entire planet. Since 2001, the Group committed itself to ambitious objectives in the framework of a pioneering partnership with WWF.

 

Lafarge has fulfilled and surpassed in advance its 2010 objectives, because of the context of the economic downturn, which has significantly impacted production volumes:

• - 10% absolute gross emissions* in industrialized countries: they were cut by 36.5% in the Cement business between 1990 and 2010,
• - 20% net emissions* per ton of cement produced worldwide: they fell by 21.7% between 1990 and 2010.

 

(* Gross/net emissions: net emissions equal gross emissions minus emissions related to the burning of waste.)

 

Going beyond plants

The construction sector accounts for 40% of the global energy demand, and for 30% of the overall greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2011, the Group announced it 2nd generation commitments, set up in the framework of the partnership with WWF International. Lafarge's 3 new targets for 2015 and 2020 are in line with a comprehensive, ambitious and original approach. They go beyond plants CO2 emissions and encapsulate the entire construction chain:

• Reducing CO2 emissions per ton of cement produced by 33% between 1990 and 2020;
• Developing 10 innovative products ranges and contributing to 500 sustainable construction projects by 2015;
• Promoting CO2 performance enhancement policies which are adapted to Lafarge's industry in international and professional organizations.

 

Relying on industrial ecology and innovation

To meet these objectives, the Group is:

• reducing energy consumption,
• modernizing its plants and constantly improving its industrial processes,
• developing industrial ecology through alternative fuels and industrial waste, particularly slag, fly ash and pozzolan, to manufacture cement.

 

Lafarge also invests in research to:

• develop clinker which produces less CO2. For example, new clinkers Aether incorporate less limestone and can be heated to lower temperatures, which will allow a 25 to 30% cut in CO2 emissions.
• perfect processes which make more efficient use of energy,
• optimize the composition of concrete and improve recycling.

Lafarge conducts a number of projects aimed at implementing Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol.

Three projects have already been recognized by the CDM Executive Committee:

• in Morocco, the Tetouan wind farm supplies 50% of the electricity used by the local Lafarge cement plant,
• in Malaysia, 5% of the thermal energy for the Rawang and Kanthan cement plants comes from biomass,
• in India, fly ash from conventional power plants is recycled for use in cement.

 

These 3 Clean Development Mechanisms provide annual savings of 160,000 tons of CO2, an environmental benefit equivalent to planting 10.6 million trees per year!

 

A 4th project was approved by the CDM Executive Committee early 2011: in the Philippines, the Teresa cement plant will recover the waste heat released during the production of cement to transform it into electricity, covering 31% of the plant's energy requirements. The greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by almost 12,000 tonnes