Displaying items by tag: Environment

Zimbabwe: China-based Shuntai Holdings is reportedly in a legal battle with Bryden Country School in Chegutu over the construction of a cement plant 497m from its boundary, according to local press.

The Board of Governors said that the company disclosed its plans in February 2025 to objections from the school and parents, with construction still continuing despite a High Court order halting construction. The Board said that there was no supporting documentation for the company to operate, as the area is zoned for education and also hosts a secondary school and university. Bryden said that it lodged multiple objections against Shuntai’s environmental and social impact assessment, which it claims failed to address key health and safety issues, yet the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) granted approval in April 2025. The school has since reportedly taken legal action against the regulator. A High Court judge ruled in July 2025 that Shuntai Holdings was in contempt of the stop-work order, but construction reportedly continues.

In July 2025, Shuntai administration manager Yan Bo confirmed the company has invested US$70m in the project, which is expected to produce 0.8Mt/yr of cement starting in 2026.

US: Supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) producer Eco Material Technologies has published its 2024 Sustainability Report, detailing the measures it has employed to reduce its environmental impact over the year. The producer said that its SCM displaced 5% of US cement consumption, avoiding 5.5Mt of CO₂ emissions. The company diverted 6.2Mt of ash from landfill and harvested a further 0.5Mt, reducing water use by 7.57bn litres compared to conventional materials. It produced 73,292t of ‘green’ cement, avoiding over 65,000t of CO₂, and aims to double recycled material use to 20Mt by 2030.

Chief executive officer Grant Quasha said “We're proving that domestic fly ash is not only a powerful climate solution, but also a resilient and scalable one. The infrastructure transformation is already underway, and we're proud to be leading it.”

Eco Material Technologies operates 125 sites in 42 states and employs 1100 people.

Türkiye: Akros Çimento has submitted a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) application for a 2.5Mt/yr cement plant in Burcun Village, Yenişehir district, Bursa. The facility will reportedly produce CEM I, CEM II and CEM IV Type 2 SDC cements. A previous proposal to build a cement plant on the site was cancelled by court order in 2008.

The plant will be built on 466,000m² of forest land, with 71,000m² allocated for the plant. It will use coal and industrial waste as fuel and draw water from underground sources.

Its proximity to Gemlik Port, 30km away, will support exports, with remaining output serving nearby provinces including Bursa, Balıkesir, Yalova, İzmit and Istanbul.

However, Natural Life Conservation Society (DOĞADER) president Murat Demir is protesting the plant’s construction. He said to the Bursa Hakimiyet newspaper “They will most likely receive approval, because it's very easy to get an EIA in Turkey. If the approval decision is made, we will object.”

He added “Bursa has polluted water, polluted air and polluted soil. Laws and regulations are no longer based on protecting nature, but on exploiting it. We will be filing a lawsuit against this because it will create a polluting and destructive pressure on Bursa's natural structure, especially our forests, agricultural lands, and water resources.”

Ghana: Ghacem has launched ECO COOL, Ghana’s first eco-friendly cement, according to My Joy Online news. The producer says the new product reduces environmental impact while maintaining high construction standards.

At the launch event, managing director Frank Huber said “At Ghacem, we want to lead the path in sustainable construction. We’ve set a clear target — to become 100% CO₂ neutral by 2050. ECO COOL is designed for all building applications, but with significantly lower environmental impact.”

Zimbabwe: The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) has called on the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to suspend operations on a US$1bn cement project in Magunje, Mashonaland West, citing ‘a spiralling crisis’ of human rights abuses, forced displacements and environmental harm, according to Pindula News. The project is led by Labenmon Investments, in partnership with China-based West International Holding. It is expected to produce 0.9Mt/yr of cement and 1.8Mt/yr of clinker. The project will reportedly create 5000 jobs and spur local development, but CNRG has raised concerns on behalf of local communities.

There have been reports that communities have been forcefully removed from their ancestral lands and graves of relatives ‘desecrated’ in the wake of mining developments. The group also raised concerns about alleged ‘fraudulent consultations,’ with legally required village meetings bypassed and affected communities excluded from decision-making processes. The newspaper also reported that eight villagers from Kapere were arrested for standing up to the mining project and continue to be summoned to the court despite the complainants failing to appear. CNRG staff members also reportedly faced threats from the Zimbabwe National Army while conducting an inspection in Kemapondo village.

There are also reports of the local Magunje Dam being polluted by the cement plant and of fires sparked during land clearing exercises, which have razed farmlands. There are also concerns of labour violations, with employees allegedly working in dangerous conditions, below the minimum wage and without formal contracts. The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union has escalated the matter to the Labour Court.

EU: The European Commission intends to withdraw a proposal aimed at combating so-called ‘greenwashing’, by ensuring companies’ environmental claims are accurate, substantiated and independently verified, according to MSN News. The proposal was initially presented in March 2023, as part of the broader European Green Deal legislative framework and was expected to go ahead in a matter of days, after reported ‘successful talks.’

Poland’s EU Council presidency said it is “ready to enter constructively into the trilogue and go ahead as planned until there is a clear decision from the Commission.”

A Parliament negotiator said “It is unacceptable that the Commission blatantly interferes with the progress made by co-legislators on this file.”

The Commission has not confirmed whether its College of Commissioners has formally decided to withdraw the proposal. Beyond the immediate legislative impact, the move raises broader questions about the Commission's authority to retract its own proposals. A 2015 Court of Justice ruling allows proposal withdrawals under strict conditions, such as in the case of institutional deadlock or the proposal becoming obsolete. Neither case appears to apply to the Green Claims Directive.

Malaysia: The state government of Sabah has dismissed concerns over illegal logging, investor withdrawal and environmental risks related to the US$277m Tongod cement plant project.

Masiung Banah of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly said "There is no logging taking place. The quarry spans 200 acres [80.9 hectares], not thousands as claimed. The project has undergone thorough environmental assessments, including an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), to ensure compliance with regulations."

Masiung, also chair of Borneo Cement, said that the project is proceeding as planned and that site clearing had already begun, following the approval of the EIA, according to the Daily Express newspaper. He added that the 5000t/day plant in Kampung Kayawoi will address Sabah’s cement shortage, reduce prices through local sourcing and create up to 1000 jobs for local people, as well as improving roads, electricity and water supply in the region. The Sabah Energy Commission has reportedly agreed to supply 40% of the plant’s required electricity and a 26km access road will be built to transport materials.

Cambodia: The Cambodian government has approved the construction of a new cement plant on a 99-hectare site inside Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, awarded in January 2025 to KP Cement. This decision comes despite a 2023 moratorium on new mining licences in Prey Lang to protect the forest and local ecosystem. Local newspaper Mongabay previously conducted an investigation into KP Cement, allegedly uncovering rampant deforestation at the company’s mine where limestone and marble are being excavated. It reports that documents published in the March 2025 edition of Cambodia’s Royal Gazette, which lists new laws and government announcements, show that a 50-year lease on a 99-hectare plot of land inside Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary was awarded to KP Cement on 13 January 2025.

The plant will source limestone from a nearby mine less than 1km away. Coal for the operation will be imported via Sihanoukville port and transported over 440km to the site. Local communities have expressed alarm over environmental degradation, health risks from limestone dust and being excluded from decision-making.

India: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued a draft notification to establish India’s first compliance-based carbon market, according to The New Indian Express. The draft covers heavy industries such as cement, and lists 186 cement plants belonging to Ultratech Cement, Ambuja Cement, Dalmia Cement and others. These plants must cut greenhouse gas emission intensity (GEI) for two years, starting from the 2025–26 financial year under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme 2023. Non-compliant producers must purchase carbon credit certificates, or failing this, face penalties from the Central Pollution Control Board. The draft will be finalised following a 60-day public consultation.

Colombia: Cementos Argos has obtained third-party verification for an environmental product declaration (EPD) for the Type VII cement produced at its Cartagena plant.

Tomás Restrepo, vice president of Cementos Argos, said "This certificate validates our efforts to reduce environmental impacts, optimise resources and offer a high-quality material that responds to the needs of each of our clients' projects.”