Monday 9 September 2019

LafargeHolcim uses Solidia ‘CO2-sucking cement’ to greenwash spiralling emissions

You would hope – for a company that pumped out 121,000,000 tonnes* of CO2 into our atmosphere in 2018, 3,000,000 tonnes more than the year before, 11,000,000 tonnes more than the entire Czech Republic, itself Europe’s 5th biggest CO2 polluter – that cement producer LafargeHolcim, parent company of Aggregate Industries, was working towards solutions with a lower carbon footprint. LafargeHolcim says it is:


To clarify – when LafargeHolcim talks about "our @SolidiaCO2 #concrete" – in reality the company is just one of a number of investors that have been backing Solidia Technologies, a startup company using materials technology born out of Rutgers University:
Solidia’s patented processes start with an energy-saving sustainable cement and cure concrete with CO2 instead of water. Combined, they reduce the carbon footprint of cement and concrete up to 70%.
Based in Piscataway, N.J. (USA), Solidia’s investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Bright Capital, BASF, BP, LafargeHolcim, Total Energy Ventures, Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) Climate Investments, Air Liquide, Bill Joy and other private investors.


Last month, 11 years after Solidia's foundation, LafargeHolcim and Solidia announced they would supply a US plant making paving slabs.


Anything – however small – that reduces the CO2 emissions from cement and concrete is a step in the right direction, isn't it? Of course. Unless it allows the cement majors to hide behind a barrage of greenwash – giving the impression of action, rather than making serious cuts to emissions.



LafargeHolcim has been making the most of its investment in Solidia, publicity-wise: pushing out press releases, basking in the green glow of articles like LafargeHolcim is selling CO2-sucking cement for precast, reduces emissions by 70 percent.


Other investors – also in an effort to greenwash their activities – have publicised their involvement too:


But let’s not get too excited. So far, uptake of Solidia's cement has been slow. Earlier this year, it was claimed that "the carbon impact of Solidia Technologies cement and concrete has surpassed four million kilograms."

It's a significant amount. But given how much LafargeHolcim – the world's largest cement company – publicises its involvement with Solidia, let's put that number into context: 4 million kilograms – or 4000 tonnes – amounts to less than the CO2 emissions that would result from Aggregate Industries' 2.5 million mile haulage plan for Straitgate Farm; 4000 tonnes amounts to less than 700 tonnes for each of the six years that LafargeHolcim has been part of the project, which is just 0.0006% of the company's emissions in 2018.


It's impressive just how much greenwash LafargeHolcim can create from 0.0006%.


Unfortunately for humanity, emissions at LafargeHolcim – like those at its UK subsidiary Aggregate Industries – are going up, not down. As the Treehugger article says:
Now if only there was a big honking carbon tax that would light a fire under the industry to actually change; otherwise the transition will take forever.


* Net CEM CO2 emissions. Total gross direct CO2 emissions 135Mt. Total indirect CO2 emissions 30Mt. Source: LafargeHolcim Sustainability Report 2018
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