Holcim’s global sustainability program is looking to foster employee awareness by eliminating more than 1,400 kg of single-use plastic.
Holcim Colombia joined this year’s cause at the World Mother Earth Day, called by the UN, which focused on the fight against plastics. The company declared their awareness of the current challenges to protect our planet, therefore they are carrying out concrete and verifiable actions in terms of sustainability, reforestation and environmental restoration. The main purpose of these initiatives is to make a tangible contribution to the preservation of the planet.
The cement producer is promoting a transformation in their work environment through their “Green Offices” program. This is meant to encourage a conscious work environment among all employees, promoting practices that minimize waste and maximize efficiency in the use of resources.
The company has implemented a strict waste separation system to guarantee the proper disposal and has achieved the total elimination of single-use plastic in all operations. The materials that can be reused are recycled and the remaining waste is transformed into alternative fuel for cement manufacturing at the cement factory. All these actions promote circular economies by giving a second life to materials by minimizing waste and contribute to reducing the environmental footprint.
They are seeking to create added value as a company to its clients and the world by managing resources responsibly with a comprehensive approach to sustainability with concrete actions related to waste reduction, the promotion of circular practices, among others
The quarries, as well, have been identified to offer an opportunity that can potentially contribute to the conservation or even the increase of biodiversity. In the last four years, through their ‘Net Positive Impact on Quarries’ project, it has restored more than 139 hectares and has planted more than 54,000 native species in the regions and surrounding areas where they operate.
This information gathering is carried out by Holcim through the Biodiversity Indicator and Reporting System (BIRS), a methodology developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which helps determine the degree of risks and opportunities for biodiversity. in each quarry and allows monitoring its evolution annually.
Additionally, it allows the company to understand and respond to how it affects the habitats and ecosystems for which it has management responsibility, the effectiveness of biodiversity mitigation and habitat rehabilitation measures, and how companies measure and report on their activities of biodiversity management.
As a result of this project, Gloria Perafán, Sustainability Manager, shared that they have managed to obtain visible results reflected in the registration each year of different species associated fauna or temporary visitors to the rehabilitated areas of the quarries. These actions have managed to demonstrate a positive impact on the biodiversity of their quarries aimed at reversing the loss of nature and protecting natural ecosystems.
The cement company also reported some reforestation actions, reaffirming its commitment to building progress for people and the planet, the company has joined different initiatives to contribute to reforest the country with native species.
In the most recent initiative, Holcim participated through the Race for my Country Trees, to contribute to the Parque Jaime Duque Foundation and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and donated and planted 2,940 trees to continue protecting and restoring nature.
To summarize, Holcim Colombia operates under a strategy based on the concept of sustainability and they are moving forward to meeting the goal of becoming a net zero company by 2050 which involves continuing to contribute to the community and to build a world that is successful for people and the planet.
