LafargeHolcim step up climate action in India

Company allocates CHF100 million across six sites over two years to reduce CO2 emissions

LAFARGEHOLCIM are investing CHF100 million in waste heat recovery systems in India to accelerate the company’s net zero journey. The investment across six sites will be completed in the next two years, doubling LafargeHolcim’s waste heat recovery systems, which use thermal heat to produce decarbonized electricity.

As part of their net zero roadmap, LafargeHolcim aim to reduce their scope 2 emissions by 65% by 2030 compared with its 2018 baseline. This objective will be delivered through a number of measures, from waste heat recovery to investing in renewable energy. Scope 2 includes indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity consumed in the company’s owned or controlled equipment.

The company is actively partnering with power producers worldwide to install renewable energy facilities across its sites and increase its share of renewable energy from the grid.

For example, wind turbines that eliminate at least 9,000 tonnes of CO2 annually have been installed at LafargeHolcim’s Paulding plant, in the US, whilst in Argentina, more than 30% of electricity comes from renewable sources, and in Leffe, Belgium, the company is currently setting up a wind power plant that will supply more than 75% of its quarry’s electricity.

Magali Anderson (pictured), LafargeHolcim’s chief sustainability officer, said: ‘On our net zero journey, we set ourselves an ambitious scope 2 target. I am very excited to see India leading the way by investing CHF100 million in waste heat recovery. This major step forward builds on our procurement teams’ work in renewable energy.’

Chief procurement officer Mario Gross added: ‘Procurement plays a key role in LafargeHolcim’s climate action. That’s why we are engaging in a number of renewable energy partnerships around the world to install wind turbines and solar panel farms to power our sites. In addition, we are purchasing energy from renewable sources wherever it is feasible.’