We have continued to take steps towards achieving our 2030 sustainability commitments as we strive to be part of the solution to creating a sustainable future.
We are evolving to produce building materials that minimise the use of primary materials, reduce carbon emissions and promote the circular economy. As part of this, we have expanded our recycling division with the acquisition of Mick George Limited and B&A Group and have created a new hub at our Appleford depot in Oxfordshire to recycle construction waste for reuse.
In 2024 we also launched evoBuild, our new global brand for low carbon and circular products, which will help to set new standards for sustainable building materials.
But, if we want to be part of the solution, we need to reduce the carbon associated with cement as its production is responsible for the vast majority of our CO₂ emissions.
Cement is an essential construction material; the ‘glue’ in concrete, the most widely used building material in the world. We can’t build low carbon infrastructure without it and we are already addressing this by using supplementary cementitious materials such as evoBuild low carbon GGBS and calcined clays to significantly reduce the CO₂ impact of the concrete we supply.
We have also invested heavily to reduce process emissions and increase the amount of alternative fuels used in cement production to almost 80 per cent. However, two-thirds of the CO₂ emissions produced arise from the chemical reactions that take place during cement manufacture, so cannot be avoided by using low carbon or renewable energy sources.
This is why we are progressing plans to build a carbon capture facility at our Padeswood cement works in north Wales, which will prevent these emissions from entering the atmosphere in the first place.
We are also involved in other trials using innovative fuels and technologies that could provide further routes to producing lower carbon materials to help decarbonise the construction sector.
But we can’t do it alone: we can make lower carbon concrete but our customers also need to specify and use it. Some already are, but we must encourage all stakeholders to work together to design, specify and build infrastructure using lower carbon products if we are to make a lasting difference for future generations.
In 2024 we continued conversations with our customers and supply chain through our Let’s Talk Sustainability series, which included an in-person event. It was a great opportunity to highlight the challenges in achieving net zero and demonstrate our progress to date.
I am extremely proud of our employees who have embraced the opportunities that our rebrand to Heidelberg Materials presented and we continue to work together to deliver our sustainability ambitions and help our customers meet their decarbonisation goals.
