Tired of accusations of “greenwashing”, CEO François Girod says his group’s environmental measures are not “simple slogans”.
Holcim wants to redeem an image. Often considered the most polluting company in Switzerland, abused during the ZAD du Mormont, the cement factory opened its doors to the media on Monday in Eclépens (VD) to explain its efforts in terms of sustainability.
“We want to be better understood and better accepted,” admitted François Girod, director of the Vaud cement plant. Weary of accusations of “greenwashing”, he claimed that his group’s environmental measures were not “mere slogans”, but “concrete projects with measurable benefits”.
These measures are not new and were taken “long before the pressure suffered” by the group in the media or in the face of climate activists. “We did not wait for Greta Thunberg before acting!” Launched François Girod.
The Zug group, Swiss cement champion and of which Eclépens is one of the three factories in the country, has reduced its CO2 emissions by nearly 40% since 1990, noted Stéphane Pilloud, director of the “aggregates and concretes” sector.
Much more will need to be done, however, to achieve its long-term goal of becoming a net-zero CO2 emissions company by 2050. By that date, Holcim will therefore need to be able to produce “climate-neutral and fully recyclable” building materials. , he added.
Waste instead of oil
To achieve this, Holcim relies in particular on the circular economy by reusing materials from, for example, a construction site. “The idea is to upgrade this material and substitute it for natural resources,” explained Stéphane Pilloud.
Holcim also plans to accelerate the combustion of various wastes to feed its furnace. “Rather than burning oil, we burn more waste,” summarized François Girod.
Improving logistics, with in particular increased use of the train, increased production of photovoltaic energy or the deep geothermal project in Eclépens are among the other “levers” of Holcim to reduce its carbon footprint.
Capture
François Girod also mentions a pilot project “on a global scale”, in this case the construction of a second oven at Eclépens, in which it would be possible to cook the rock at a lower temperature. “We would gain a lot of CO2 there,” assured the site director, specifying that this project was currently blocked by various oppositions.
Knowing that two-thirds of CO2 emissions are linked to the firing of rock – an inevitable process for producing cement – Holcim will not be able to meet its objectives without carbon capture. “It’s a huge challenge, but we know it’s technically feasible,” said Mr. Girod. Here too, a pilot project has been launched, in collaboration with the ETHZ.
“Sword of Damocles”
However, these various projects at Eclépens remain subject to a ruling by the Federal Court (TF) on the extension of the Mormont quarry. An extension fought in court, but also between 2020 and 2021 during the occupation of the hill by activists from the first Zone to Defend (ZAD) in Switzerland.
This judgment of the TF is “a sword of Damocles”, recognized François Girod. According to him, if justice does not give the green light to the expansion of the quarry, Holcim will have no solution to continue its activity in Eclépens, even less to achieve its objectives in terms of sustainability.
In addition to this court decision, Holcim will play big with the “Save Mormont” initiative, on which the Vaudois will have to vote and which aims to include the protection of the site in the cantonal Constitution.
François Girod said he understood the concerns related to Mormont, and to the cement industry more generally. But according to him, it is unrealistic to think that society can live completely without concrete to continue to develop.