Fighting Climate Change

Partnership with the WWF

Cement production is responsible for most of Lafarge's greenhouse gas emissions. Manufacturing alone accounts for 98% of the Group's CO2 emissions. Lafarge is aware of the challenge which climate change presents for the entire planet. In 2001, the Group committed itself to ambitious objectives in the framework of a pioneering partnership with the WWF. Lafarge has fulfilled in advance its objectives to reduce:

• absolute gross emissions* by 10% in industrialized countries,
• net emissions* by 20% per ton of cement produced worldwide.

*Gross/net emissions: net emissions equal gross emissions minus emissions related to the burning of waste.

In 2009, the Group began the process of building on these achievements through the detailed planning of new Sustainability Ambitions relating to climate change.

Lafarge's resources

 To meet these objectives, the Group is:

• reducing energy consumption,
• modernizing its plants and constantly improving its industrial processes to use alternative energy sources,
• using alternative fuels,
• using industrial waste, particularly slag, fly ash and pozzolan, to manufacture cement. For example, certain cement additives can partially replace clinker, which reduces CO2 emissions.

Results

• the Group's global net CO2 emissions per ton of cement fall by 20.7% between 1990 and the end of 2009,
• the Group's absolute level of CO2 emissions in industrialized countries fall by 37,7% between 1990 and 2009.

 Lafarge also invests in research to:

• develop clinker which produces less CO2,
• perfect processes which make more efficient use of energy,
• optimize the composition of concrete and improve recycling.

To learn more about Lafarge's commitment to lowering carbon emissions worldwide, follow the link below.

Industrial ecology at the heart of operations

The Group's industrial ecology approach is built around finding ways to add value to waste. The underlying principle is that waste products from certain industries can serve as energy or raw material resources for other industries. In 2009, alternative fuels such as waste and biomass represented almost 11% of the fuel used by the Group.

 Promoting alternative energy sources

 For 30 years, Lafarge has been developing solutions to reduce energy consumption and diversify supplies.

 Examples of alternative fuel sources:

• The Palatka, Fla., drywall plant is using synthetic gypsum to make drywall in order to help preserve a natural resource.
• The Bath, Ontario, cement plant is experimenting with alternative fuels and biomass, in order to lower the amount of coal used at our plants.