… the partnership seeks to develop a roadmap for aligning climate targets to a 1.5°C future in the cement sector, pushing the boundaries of Green construction.

Bamburi cement parent company, LafargeHolchim has become the first global building materials company to sign the ‘Business Ambition for 1.5°C’ pledge with intermediate targets approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in alignment with net zero pathway.

The commitment builds on LafargeHolcim’s leadership in Green construction with its low-carbon and carbon-neutral products such as ECOPact, green concrete, and Susteno.

In its 2030 goals, LafargeHolcim has committed to operate its first net zero CO2 cement production facility, lower its target for CO2 intensity in cement to 475kg net CO2 per ton of cementitious material (net CO2/t.cem.), recycle 100m tons of waste and byproducts for energy and raw materials, double waste-derived fuels in production to reach 37% as well as scale up the use of calcined clay and develop novel cements with new binders. The company has also committed to reduce its transportation and fuel-related emissions by 20%.

Commenting on the partnership, Bamburi Cement Managing Director Seddiq Hassani noted that environmental protection is a key pillar of sustainability at LafargeHolcim and its subsidiaries, citing Bamburi’s own commitment to substitute fossil fuels with industrial, municipal waste and biomass to power its cement plants.

Among these efforts Bamburi, through its waste management division Geocycle, has partnered with Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA) in the Safe Waste Oil Disposal (SWOD) initiative; whereby major oil marketers in Kenya, safely dispose the waste oil from their service stations and their commercial customers across the country, through Bamburi’s cement kilns. Bamburi also partners with tyre retreading companies, motor assemblers and big hauliers for safe disposal of waste tyres as well as with rice millers on disposal of rice husks in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.

“Signing of the Net Zero Pledge with Science-Based Targets is a step in the right direction for LafargeHolchim and by extension Bamburi Cement as well as the society we live in. Realization of the set goals in this partnership will greatly contribute to environmental conservation which is a key area of our sustainability ambitions. Locally, we have been taking initiatives through partnerships via Geocycle that will help build up to the bigger picture that is Net zero Pledge,” said Mr Hassani.

Bamburi has over the years taken continuous action at local community levels to protect and conserve biodiversity in a bid to mitigate climate change effects, the long standing conservation initiatives such as Bamburi Haller Park, demonstrate Bamburi’s sustainable practices in quarry restoration and bio diversity conservation.

Hassani noted that Bamburi is also paying attention to low carbon cements and environmental conservation, through product innovation for example recently launched Bamburi Duracem cement at 279 net Kg C02 /t, is the greenest cement in the market.

LafargeHolchim CEO Jan Jenisch said: “I believe in building a world that works for people and the planet. That’s why we are reinventing how the world builds today to make it greener with low-carbon and circular solutions. I am very excited to be working with SBTi, taking a rigorous science-based approach to shape our net zero roadmap and accelerating our efforts to substantially lower our CO2 footprint. I will not stop pushing the boundaries to lead the way in green construction.”

Magali Anderson, LafargeHolchim Chief Sustainability Officer said: “As the world’s largest cement producer, we have a key role to play in addressing today’s climate crisis. On our way to becoming a net zero company, we are not only part of the solution, we are committed to supporting our customers in their CO2-reduction ambitions. No company can tackle today’s climate challenge alone, that’s why we are partnering for impact.”

On his part, Alberto Carrillo, Director, Science Based Targets at CDP, one of the Science Based Targets initiative partners said: “We at SBTi are delighted that LafargeHolcim has joined the group of over 290 industry leaders committed to a 1.5°C future. As the largest player in one of the most carbon-intensive industries, LafargeHolcim’s leadership demonstrates that a net zero economy is within reach.”

On its net zero journey LafargeHolcim will accelerate circular construction by increasing the use of recycled materials in its products and processes while recovering materials at the end of their life cycle. In 2019 alone, LafargeHolcim recycled 48 million tons of waste making it a world leader in waste solutions, contributing to cleaner cities while preserving earth’s finite resources.

In the next ten years, LafargeHolchim is keen to develop and deploy advanced technologies, preparing the next step of its net zero journey. This includes piloting over twenty Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) projects across Europe and North America.