Holcim and Ellen MacArthur Foundation partner to accelerate circularity in built environment

• Collaboration to range from science-based research to coalition-building 
• Holcim to contribute to circularity resources for businesses, cities and public authorities 
• Partnership builds on Holcim’s expertise in circular construction and Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s circular economy leadership in multiple sectors 

Holcim has entered a Network Partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to accelerate circularity in the built environment. With this partnership, Holcim aims to support businesses, cities and public authorities in creating a circular economy for the built environment with toolkits, science-based research, advocacy and coalition-building. Together, Holcim and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation aim to accelerate the transition to a circular built environment, which includes refurbishing existing buildings, recycling building materials, and designing buildings to be dismantled, turning them into material banks for future construction projects.

Nollaig Forrest, Chief Sustainability Officer, Holcim: “We are excited to be partnering with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to accelerate circularity in the built environment. Our partnership combines Holcim’s global leadership in circular construction with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s pioneering work in circularity across multiple sectors, as well as its close collaboration with world-leading cities.”

Andrew Morlet, CEO, Ellen MacArthur Foundation: “Our built environment uses almost half the materials extracted globally every year and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. To realize a net-zero and nature-positive future, the built environment sector needs to reduce its impact on the planet.

“We are delighted to welcome Holcim as a Partner in our Network, and we look forward to collaborating on a series of ambitious initiatives in order to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for the built environment.”

As a global leader in recycling, circularity is at the core of Holcim’s decarbonization journey. Building new from old, Holcim recycled 8.4 million tons of construction demolition materials last year, a 24% increase on the prior year. That represents 1,500 truck loads of materials every day. Holcim aims to grow its recycling of construction demolition materials by another 20% to 10 million tons this year, while scaling up its ECOCycle® recycling sites to 150 in Europe by 2030.

Holcim’s leadership on circularity in the built environment includes its role as a founding member of the Circularity Taskforce, launched under the auspices of the Sustainable Markets Initiative at COP28. Its proprietary ECOCycle® circular technology was named a “Circularity Lighthouse in the Built Environment”, in a joint initiative between McKinsey & Company and the World Economic Forum announced at this year’s annual meeting in Davos.

About Holcim

Holcim is a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions with net sales of CHF 27.0 billion in 2023. Driven by our purpose to build progress for people and the planet, our 63,448 employees are on a mission to decarbonize building, while improving living standards for all. We empower our customers across all regions to build better with less, with a broad range of low-carbon and circular solutions, from ECOPact and ECOPlanet to our circular technology platform ECOCycle®. Through innovative systems, from Elevate roofing to PRB insulation, Holcim makes buildings more sustainable in use, driving energy efficiency and green retrofitting. With sustainability at the core of our strategy, we are on the way to becoming a net-zero company with 1.5°C targets validated by SBTi. 

Learn more about Holcim on www.holcim.com, and by following us on LinkedIn.

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Important disclaimer – forward-looking statements:

This document contains forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements do not constitute forecasts regarding results or any other performance indicator, but rather trends or targets, as the case may be, including with respect to plans, initiatives, events, products, solutions and services, their development and potential. Although Holcim believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions as at the time of publishing this document, investors are cautioned that these statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Holcim, including but not limited to the risks described in the Holcim's annual report available on its website (www.holcim.com) and uncertainties related to the market conditions and the implementation of our plans. Accordingly, we caution you against relying on forward-looking statements. Holcim does not undertake to provide updates of these forward-looking statements.