Sustainable Development

Constructing differently is a constant challenge for Lafarge. For several years, the Group has been incorporating into its activities sensitive questions of preserving resources, rehabiliting quarries, limiting pollution and reducing worksite inconvenience and disturbance.

Lafarge now devotes more than 50% of its R&D investments to sustainable construction. Its Research center is the 1st laboratory in the world for building materials and works on:

• improving existing products,
• developing new products which are even more effective and environmentally friendly.

 
But sustainable construction responds to major economic, social and environmental challenges which go far beyond the Group's field of activities:

• throughout their lifecycle, buildings are responsible for 40% of the CO2 emissions and waste in developed countries,
• the building sector represents 10% of global GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and employs more than 100 million people around the world.

That is why the Group is multiplying its partnerships and working with numerous organizations to drive sustainable construction forward: universities, research centers, architects, international bodies, etc.

Scientific progress is promoted by sharing and discussion. Materials engineering is no exception. This is why Lafarge is working with the leading research centers in the world as well as the most prestigious international schools, institutions and universities.

The aim is share knowledge and expertise, maintain a lead in innovation and the quality of materials and advance sustainable construction. Particular examples include:

• MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in the United States: Lafarge is exploring new and very cutting-edge experimental methods to observe the behavior of materials on a nanometric scale.
• Princeton University in the United States: Lafarge is modeling microstructure in order to design very low carbon cements and concretes which do not crack.
• The Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées in France: Lafarge has set up the "Science of sustainable construction materials" chair.

 
The Group also regularly participates in numerous international conferences on the theme of sustainable construction materials.

Lafarge is a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), an organization of 200 large companies committed to a sustainability approach.
In 2009, it published a report entitled "Transforming the Market: Energy Efficiency in Buildings".  Its conclusion was that to achieve global energy targets, the building sector must transform itself and take action immediately.

In the context of the WBCSD, Lafarge is particularly active in 2 programs: CSI and EEB.

Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI)
Along with 20 cement manufacturers operating all around the world and representing more than 40% of global production, Lafarge had the idea of setting up the "Cement Sustainability Initiative". The program offers a framework for dialogue between cement manufacturers which agree to do all they can to:

• protect the climate,
• preserve resources (natural raw materials and fossil fuels),
• guarantee the health and safety of employees.

 
Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EEB)
In 2006, Lafarge launched the EEB in partnership with United Technologies Corp., the world's largest supplier of capital goods.
This project aims to develop the way construction is viewed, at every stage, from the design to the demolition of buildings.
The goal, by 2050, is to construct buildings which are self-sufficient in energy and no longer produce any CO2.
Three stages, spread over 3 years, have been defined:

• identifying current practices and obstacles in relation to "green" construction,
• detailing the range of current and future solutions,
• launching a call to action in 2009 to promote the implementation of these solutions.

 
14 multinational companies, all among the leaders in their sector, are now part of this project: United Technologies, Bosch, Dupont, EDF, GDF Suez, Philips, Skanska, Tokyo Electric Power Company, etc.

Lafarge conducts an active policy in collaboration with architects to develop the materials of the future which will serve architects' imaginations. Lafarge works in partnership with leading architects to make prestigious structures such as the Millau Viaduct and the Peace Footbridge in Seoul a reality.
At the same time, the Group is taking part in numerous national and international events to study in more depth issues of urban planning, architecture and sustainable construction.

Furthermore, partnerships between customers and suppliers give each a head start by providing a thorough knowledge of needs on one hand and definite answers on the other. With project owners such as Bouygues Construction and engineering offices such as A&S International Design, Lafarge is working on the development of innovative products to respond to environmental challenges.

Four major players in the building and energy sectors (Lafarge, Arcelor, EDF and GDF-Suez) have come together to form the Fondation Bâtiment-Energie, a recognized NGO. Its mission is to support research and curb climate change.

The goal is to quarter greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through:

• a reduction in energy consumption,
• increased use of renewable energies in the building sector,
• promotion of innovative technologies.

As part of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Lafarge is leading the Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative.

The goal is to promote the most environmentally-friendly practices and establish criteria for assessing construction and building.