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The Lafarge Group believes that sustained economic growth cannot occur without social progress, environmental protection and respect for local communities. In these pages you will discover our  values, our sustainable development priorities and our daily operations in the field.

Reducing Carbon Footprint

CDM Mechanism for RCC Teresa Plant

 

The United Nations Climate Change Convention has approved the registration of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) application for the Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) Project of Republic Teresa Plant, a Lafarge associated plant.

 

The CDM is one of the mechanisms introduced by the United Nations Climate Change Convention in the context of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The process is designed to provide a financial incentive for projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. 

 

The project set up at the Teresa cement plant supplies 30% of the cement plant's electricity needs. By using less energy produced from fossil fuels, the heat recovery project makes a lasting contribution to the fight against climate change by allowing the Teresa plant to cut its indirect CO2 emissions by 12,000 tons per year.

CDM Project at Republic Teresa Plant

Lafarge-WWF Partnership

 

Philippines LCA Study

 

In 2000, Lafarge formed an alliance with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). This established the Lafarge Group as the first industrial player to become a WWF Conservation Partner.

 

In 2001, the Group set a target of 20% reduction of its CO2 emission over the period 1990-2010. By 2010, Lafarge took a significant step in the fight against climate change by achieving a reduction of 21.7% of its net CO2 emissions.

 

In 2009, Lafarge and WWF jointly identified key areas of work in which the group made practical commitments:

  • Climate change
  • Persistent pollutants
  • Water consumption
  • Biodiversity
  • Sustainable construction

 

A Local Initiative

 

In the Philippines, the global partnership translates into a drive to use Life Cycle Analysis Tools (LCA) to compare the environmental footprint of blended cement versus Ordinary Portland Cement. The data the study generated serves as a backbone in a campaign to decrease overall the impact the cement industry makes on the environment while promoting sustainable construction practices.

Sustainable Design

Pinakamagandang Bahay sa Balat ng Lupa

 

Lafarge partnered with one of the country's top architectural schools, the College of Architecture of the University of the Philippines (UP) and organized in 2008 a house design competition called the Pinakamagandang Bahay sa Balat ng Lupa (PMBBL) meaning the Most Beautiful House on the Face of the Earth.

 

The competition which formed part of the UP centennial celebrations was open to both professionals and students. Focused not just on aesthetics but also on the ecological footprint of the designs, the competition made waves in the local architectural scene for its sustainability objectives. 

 

A total of 79 entries qualified for the competition. The eight winners (four per category) were feted at an awards ceremony held at the Executive House of the University of the Philippines in March 2009.

 

The PMBBL, the first of its kind in the country generated a lot of goodwill between Lafarge and the leadership of one of the country's premier universities which counts among its alumni thousands of practicing engineers and architects in the country.

 

The winning designs by Buensalido and Associates (professional category) and the student team composed of Laurence Angelo Angeles, Norbert Cornelius Batangan, and Jaycee Gopez, all graduates of UP-Diliman will be built within the Diliman Campus of the University of the Philippines in 2012.

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Sustainable Construction

The Group’s Partnerships

The challenges of sustainable construction concern all players in the building sector. Lafarge works closely with industrial associations, energy suppliers and architects to identify building methods which are cleaner and more environmentally friendly.