What Holcim's Sustainability Solutions Mean for Construction

Swiss construction company Holcim has released its 2025 sustainability results, revealing progress in carbon reduction and circular building practices.

Holcim operates across 43 global markets, delivering cement, ready-mix concrete and building solutions for infrastructure, residential and commercial projects.

The company's latest Full Year Results and Sustainability Statement highlight its approach to addressing the construction sector's environmental impact through material innovation and operational changes.

The construction industry faces mounting pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, with cement and concrete production accounting for significant global emissions.

Holcim's recent results could indicate how major construction materials suppliers are responding to this challenge through product development and sustainability targets.

Scaling sustainable product lines

During 2025, Holcim began implementing its NextGen Growth 2030 strategy, which aims to deliver shareholder value through sustainable construction solutions. The company scaled two key product lines: ECOPact concrete and ECOPlanet cement, designed to meet customer sustainability requirements.

According to the company, ECOPact represented 31% of its ready-mix concrete net sales, while ECOPlanet accounted for a 36% share of cement net sales. Holcim has set targets for both products to exceed 50% of their respective category sales.

The company has committed to becoming net zero by 2050, which includes reducing Scope 1 emissions through energy efficiency improvements. It plans to deploy carbon capture technologies to address remaining emissions after operational modifications.

Kim Fausing, Chairman of the Board at Holcim, says: "2025 was a transformative year for Holcim, as we began to deliver on our NextGen Growth 2030 strategy as the leading partner for sustainable construction.

"To achieve excellent results, you need talented people working with a deep sense of purpose across all market conditions and economic cycles."

Scaling recycled construction materials

Holcim is working to expand circular construction practices by increasing construction demolition materials (CDM) volumes through its ECOCycle technology. The company has established a target of processing more than 20 million tons of CDM by 2030.

To reach this goal, Holcim is focusing on metropolitan areas to develop solutions that could preserve primary raw materials, reduce waste and create business growth opportunities. The ECOCycle process guarantees between 10% and 100% recycled CDM content in construction applications.

The technology works by substituting primary materials with recycled content, which could help conserve natural resources and divert waste from landfills. This approach addresses growing demand in the construction sector for materials with lower environmental impact.

Carmen Diaz, Chief People and Sustainability Officer at Holcim, adds: "Driven by a clear purpose to deliver progress, with sustainability and innovation at the core of NextGen Growth 2030, we have been successfully implementing our strategy following the spin-off of the North American business.

"We are accelerating the scale-up of our sustainable offering – from ECOPact and ECOPlanet to ECOCycle – across all of our markets. Demand for low-carbon and circular solutions continues to grow strongly."

Integrating nature into built environments

Holcim's NextGen Growth 2030 plan includes objectives to incorporate nature into urban construction projects, while targeting a 33% reduction in freshwater withdrawal across operations by 2030, compared to 2020 levels.

The company offers solutions for integrating natural elements into construction projects, including green roofs with living plants. These installations could increase urban biodiversity while absorbing carbon emissions from the surrounding environment.

Holcim is working on advancing supplier practices to protect nature, with priorities including water management, sustainable packaging and mining operations. The company is collaborating with NGOs, coalitions and other built environment stakeholders to share knowledge and develop solutions.

Miljan Gutovic, CEO of Holcim, concludes: "The absolute highlight was the launch of our NextGen Growth 2030 strategy to be the leading partner for sustainable construction.

"Since then, we have built momentum throughout the year, focusing on executing this strategy to achieve strong profitable growth. We accelerated initiatives for decarbonisation and circular construction through ECOCycle, while building a nature-positive future."