Holcim Case Study
Case Study: Holcim and Switzerland’s first carbon-neutral concrete
The construction sector plays a key role in the transition to a circular, Net Zero economy. As one of Switzerland's leading producers of building materials, Holcim is up to the challenges of a sustainably built future.
With South Pole's support, Holcim has launched the first climate-neutral concrete in Switzerland. In order to obtain the coveted South Pole label for climate neutral products, a company must fully compensate for its unavoidable emissions.
The goal
The construction sector plays a key role in the transition to a circular, Net Zero economy. As one of Switzerland's leading producers of building materials, Holcim is tackling the challenges of a sustainably built future by reducing CO2 along its entire value chain and using construction materials more efficiently. By 2050, Holcim aims to produce only climate-neutral and fully recyclable building materials.
The challenge
Closing the material project cycle and developing resource-smart building materials presents a huge opportunity to reduce costs – and climate impact.
No one knows this better than Holcim, one of Switzerland's leading producers of building materials striving to develop resource-saving cement and concrete. Ultimately, complete CO2 neutrality can only be achieved by using new technologies still under development. Until then, Holcim is investing in the most robust solutions currently available on the market by working with an established partner that offers reliable climate neutrality labels and an attractive selection of certified climate protection projects.
The solution
EvopactZERO, developed by Holcim, is the first carbon-neutral concrete in Switzerland. EvopactZERO is made from Holcim's resource-saving cement, Susteno, and is climate neutral, as the remaining CO2 pollution of the concrete is compensated by projects in Switzerland and abroad. This is all possible thanks to South Pole, who analysed all remaining emissions and examined the reduction measures. Unavoidable emissions are offset through certified climate action projects –in Switzerland or India, depending on customer preference – from the South Pole portfolio. These efforts combined have earned EvopactZERO the right to carry South Pole's coveted "climate-neutral product" label.
Get to know Holcim's Product Engineer, Cathleen Hoffman. We interviewed her for our blog.
About the client
Concrete, gravel and cement form the core business of Holcim (Switzerland) AG. It acts as a system and solution provider that guarantees turnkey solutions and first-class technical support. Technical experts develop tailor-made concrete and cement formulations upon request.
South Pole helped us analyse and quantify various CO2 reduction measures along our entire value chain. The result of the collaboration is the first carbon-neutral concrete certified by South Pole – a significant step forward in achieving our sustainability vision of fully recyclable, climate-neutral building materials.
Head of Marketing & Commercial Performance , Holcim Switzerland