Nature

Recognizing our industry’s heavy reliance on natural resources, Holcim is contributing to building a nature-positive future.

Our Nature Strategy focuses on restoring and preserving biodiversity and freshwater ecosystems while bringing more nature into cities.

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What is Holcim's Nature Strategy?

We strive for a science-based approach when adapting our operations to the natural surroundings, with a focus on protecting biodiversity and water resources. By seeking a higher biodiversity value in our rehabilitation work and with freshwater reduction and replenishment plans, we are mitigating our impacts and contributing positively within our sites, quarries and communities worldwide.

We advocate for the development of a common framework to measure and monitor the impact of activities on biodiversity and freshwater to allow for better target-setting and the measurement of improvements. Global targets and science-based indicators are essential to provide direction for business. We support the development of frameworks that enable organizations to identify, measure and value their direct and indirect impacts and dependencies on natural capital, including the integration of ecosystem service values in the assessment of natural resources.

Holcim is working with the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) to submit nature targets for validation in 2023 – one of the first seventeen companies and the only one in its sector – as part of a global initiative to set the world’s first standards for ambitious and measurable corporate action for nature.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIRST SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS FOR NATURE

Biodiversity

Our commitment to a measurable positive impact on biodiversity is based on transformative rehabilitation plans and measured by a science-based methodology called the Biodiversity Indicator and Reporting System (BIRS) developed in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Water

We take a pioneering, three-pronged approach to water stewardship, including improved water usage efficiency, strict standards for zero water pollution and freshwater replenishment in water-risk areas.

Marine preservation

As part of our commitment to nature, we are helping protect our oceans and marine biodiversity through industry-leading products, solutions and innovations.

“Holcim is among the 1% of the 500 largest global companies with a science-driven approach to biodiversity and the first in our industry with a freshwater replenishment commitment. Our nature strategy sets out measurable water and biodiversity 2030 targets, demonstrating our strong commitment to a nature-positive future.”

Renata Pollini| Head of Nature at Holcim

Partnerships and engagements to optimize impact

Leveraging public policy and incentives

We support an active role for businesses in enhancing Nature. Partnerships with biodiversity experts are crucial to optimize our impact. We advocate collaboration that accelerates action.

As an example, Holcim’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Jan Jenisch signed the Call to Action of Business for Nature, which brings together influential organizations and forward-thinking businesses seeking to reverse nature loss. We aim to positively influence policymakers who are discussing international agreements on nature and climate change. We are a member of the Business for Nature’s Strategic Advisory Group, supporting them to set directions and prioritize actions.

We are excited to be contributing to the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)’s efforts to develop a framework that can guide business operations to deliver a nature-positive future. This will complement our ongoing work with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) which we have been an official supporter of since 2017.

We are a signatory of the CEO Water Mandate and the WASH pledge strengthening our water stewardship commitments. We also joined the 50L Home Coalition and the Water Resilience Coalition to scale up its impact in protecting the world’s freshwater resources.

We believe businesses have an active role to play in providing solutions for nature. Nevertheless, public policies are key to accelerate actions in this decade to reverse nature loss.

For biodiversity, we support the establishment of mandatory rehabilitation requirements in all countries. Those requirements should encourage ecosystem restoration including: high-diversity fauna and flora, restoration based on endemic species, continuity with neighboring natural landscapes and spaces, and progressive rehabilitation, i.e. rehabilitation taking place simultaneously with extraction work. Incentives can facilitate the protection of endangered species, particularly in biodiversity sensitive areas.

For a greater impact on freshwater reduction, government mandates and incentives are necessary to promote investment in technologies for rain harvesting, optimization of water use in processes, and affordable low-carbon energy desalination.

CONTRIBUTING TO UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

We work to have a positive impact on all 17 UN SDGs. Under our nature pillar we have identified four goals where we can make a significant difference:

How we are making it happen

Preserving one of the world's most threatened ecosystems in Ecuador

Over the last 30 years, we have been doing our part to protect Cerro Blanco, one of the last remaining tropical dry forests in Ecuador. Considered the "Lung of the City", the forest is home to more than 1,400 diverse species of flora and fauna.

DISCOVER MORE

Building a nature-positive future

Discover how Holcim restores and protects biodiversity and freshwater resources throughout its operations. This in-depth webinar, held in September 2021, explores how we bring nature into the built environment to preserve biodiversity and improve water stewardship for people and the planet.