Communities

At Holcim, we are fully committed to creating a positive social impact in the communities where we operate.

>190 million CHF

social investment over the last 6 years
 

>47,750 hours

spent by our employees volunteering in their local communities in 2023

Addressing a vital need for people


By 2030, an estimated 3 billion people will lack access to adequate housing. Holcim is partnering with communities and governments in numerous countries to address this pressing global issue.

Together, we are helping raise the standard of living for people with low incomes and contributing to a far-reaching impact for society as a whole.

Our experts develop innovative low-carbon solutions that bridge the gap in affordable housing and infrastructure. This benefits people and communities globally while contributing to our business success.

Taking action for positive social impact


Our journey to build progress for people and the planet involves a strong commitment to delivering positive social impacts over time.

We commit to:

  • Improving living standards for all by accelerating access to adequate housing and infrastructure with an overall contribution of 350 million CHF by 2030
  • Continuing to support communities through a broad range of initiatives covering health, education and skill building
  • Developing inclusive infrastructure solutions such as scalable affordable housing and sustainable rural roads

Approximately 3 million people benefit from our inclusive business programs, social investments and donations on an annual basis.


We scale up our impact by partnering with organizations that share our goal of building more affordable and resilient housing, such as Habitat for Humanity or Build Change. Holcim Nicaragua is taking part in Habitat for Humanity’s “100,000 Floors to Play” project. The initiative aims to replace 100,000 dirt floors with concrete floors in vulnerable housing in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2028. Holcim is also a founding member of Roof Over Our Heads, a campaign to improve the lives of two billion vulnerable people living in informal settlements by 2050.
 

“Partnering with Holcim channels market power and digitalization to improve living standards for those most in need. It will require an estimated 16 trillion USD to close the global affordable housing deficit, only 3 trillion USD of which is estimated to come from governments and nonprofits. Closing this gap becomes possible when the private sector steps into new markets to provide affordable housing products and services. This partnership highlights the critical role that private sector partners like Holcim can play in increasing access to affordable housing for low-income families.”

Jonathan Reckford| CEO Habitat for Humanity International

How we are making it happen

Thriving with our communities and making sustainable building accessible to all

Partnering with organizations that share our goal of building more affordable and resilient housing, such as Habitat for Humanity or Build Change, we collaborate to scale up impact.

Mvule Gardens

Mvule Gardens is the largest 3D-printed affordable housing project to date. The project was led by 14Trees, a Holcim and British International Investment (BII) joint venture driving innovative, sustainable and affordable construction solutions.

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