Greenwash is the term used when an organisation ‘talks the talk’ on being green, but doesn’t then ‘walk the walk,’ to take action on being green. I decided to look at the latest Sustainability Report of HeidelbergCement1 to see if the company is ‘walking the walk.’
To start off, the leader of the company, Dr. Bernd Scheifele, Chairman of the Managing Board, sets out his company’s aim: “We have made a commitment to accept our share of the worldwide responsibility to limit the global rise in temperature to below 2°C. With this in mind, HeidelbergCement set itself the goal of a 30% reduction in its specific net CO2 emissions by 2030, compared with 1990.... By 2017, we had already achieved a reduction of 19% [to 609.2kg CO2 per tonne of cement]. To further reduce our CO2 emissions and conserve natural resources, we aim to continually increase the proportion of alternative raw materials and fuels and, wherever possible, make our production processes even more efficient. Through various research programmes, we are also working on new technologies to capture CO2 emissions and utilise them as a raw material. In addition, we are currently investigating the absorption of CO2 by natural minerals with the aim of producing marketable building materials.” The boss, then, is serious about reducing his company’s impact on the environment, while still making a profit.
The report goes on to give useful additional details about the development of cements and concretes with improved carbon footprints: ‘A key focus for us is to further develop composite cements with less clinker... [since this] is the most important lever when it comes to minimising energy consumption and CO2 emissions... With the discovery of a new reactive clinker phase, we have established the basis for Ternocem®, an alternative clinker technology (belite calciumsulfoaluminate ternesite cement). The associated altered chemical composition and low combustion temperatures result in CO2 emissions that are roughly 30% lower than is the case with a conventional clinker, as well as [electrical] energy savings of about 15% [due to increased grindability]. These innovative alternative products are still in the early stages of development, and it will take some more years until they are ready for the market.’
HeidelbergCement is also realistic about its impact through quarrying, and how it can improve outcomes: ‘The quarrying of raw materials requires us to temporarily encroach upon the water supply, soil, and flora and fauna. At the same time, our extensive land use creates areas of retreat for endangered animal and plant species. We operate our quarrying sites in accordance with the international, national, and local environmental legislation. By 2030, all our extraction sites should be run on the basis of an after-use plan agreed together with local authorities according to the needs of the community. We strive to integrate recommendations for promoting biodiversity into every new after-use plan. In Europe in particular, our quarries are now important refuges and stepping-stone biotopes for especially protected species such as the sand martin, the yellow-bellied toad, the eagle-owl and the tree frog.’
The company is also trying to reduce its use of virgin raw materials: Examples of alterantive raw materials include used foundry sand, lime sludge from drinking water purification systems, GBFS and flyash, and rock flour from local quarries. In the Netherlands, Germany, and France, HC is investigating whether the fines from concrete recycling can be used as a cement ingredient in order to fully close the loop in concrete recycling.
‘CO2 capture is the focus of joint research with our partners as part of the EU-financed LEILAC project. The construction plans for the demonstration plant were completed in 2017, and building work [on the 60-metre-high demonstration calciner] has now commenced at our Lixhe cement plant in Belgium.’ Interestingly, the company says ‘In 2017, we installed a test cooler at our plant in Hanover in order to investigate the possibility of cooling clinker with CO2 only... The result was positive, confirming that a clinker cooler running on CO2 works more efficiently than a unit that runs on air.’
The Sustainability Report also features sections on health and safety, emissions trading, kiln dust management, alternative fuels (including hazardous wastes), water use and much more.
Franziska Schenker, Senior Risk Manager at the company, makes an interesting point: “Entrepreneurial activity is always forward-looking and therefore subject to certain risks. We believe that risk management also includes opportunity management – and we see potential for value enhancement in the areas of sustainability and environmental protection in particular.”
HeidelbergCement demonstrates that when you can make money out of protecting the environment, the only sensible course of action is to ‘walk the walk.’
1 https://www.heidelbergcement.com/en/sustainability-report-2017sustainability-report-2017