Annual Report 2010 Holcim Ltd

Biological Diversity
The biodiversity exhibition is
dedicated to the public.
Courses on nature photography are regularly held. The rehabilitation of the quarry starts already during
the exploitation.
A number of Group companies have also worked to-
gether with IUCN at a local level – including Sri Lanka,
Vietnam, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Spain and China.
The partnership is intended to further the exchange
of experience. Holcim and IUCN have therefore placed
the recommendations in the public domain, in the
hope of stimulating discussion and encouraging other
companies in the industry to act.
Rehabilitated quarries – a benefit to society and nature
Holcim’s rehabilitation projects are excellent examples
of a positive contribution to the environment and the
diversity of species. Throughout the world, quarries are
carefully rehabilitated and transformed into valuable
oases for flora and fauna. The concept of “near-natural”
landscaping is a core theme running through the
quarrying process. Rehabilitation actually begins while
quarrying is still underway. This benefits not only nature
and, by extension, society but also the company –
because good ecological planning can result in lower
long-term costs. Holcim’s cement plant in Belgium is
a good example of this “win-win” situation. At Mons,
close to the border with France, restoration of two
closed quarries started in 1993; in 2009 – thanks to close
cooperation with the environmental protection organization
“Les Naturalistes du Hainaut”, the University
of Mons and EU funding – the “House of Biodiversity”
was opened. The house is a multimedia educational
establishment and information center. Tours for school
groups and courses on nature photography, for example,
are held there and in nearby quarries. The public
has been involved in developing this project right from
the outset, and remains so to this day. Holcim is proud
to contribute through these activities to the education
and awareness-raising of a wider audience on the topic
of biodiversity.
Plan of action for quarry sites in sensitive areas
The IUCN is an ideal partner for Holcim because it has
been dedicated to promoting biodiversity around the
globe ever since being founded in 1948. The global umbrella
organization now has more than 1,100 member
organizations and brings together 11,000 experts who,
through committees, exchange views on the biggest
problems facing the world: climate change, sustainable
energy supply, economic success and the creation of an
environmentally sustainable economy. The members
of the IUCN engage in scientific dialog, work on hundreds
of conservation programs and exert influence
on the formulation of international conventions and
national laws. IUCN also shows its commitment to
sustainability at a very practical level: In 2010, the organization
renovated and expanded its headquarters,
which is now known as the Conservation Centre, in
Gland, Switzerland – the extension is seen today as one
of the world’s most sustainable buildings. Thanks to
construction methods and building technology that
help save raw materials and energy, it meets the
strictest standards of environmentally responsible construction:
LEED Platinum, Minergie-P and Minergie-Eco.
With this new building, IUCN provides an impressive
example of sustainable, cost-effective construction.
Holcim is proud to have contributed innovative building
materials and to have participated in the funding of
this pioneering building. The company is also delighted
that the strategic partnership with IUCN has now been
extended for a further three years. Cooperation should
ensure that by 2013 Holcim achieves its stated target of
having a plan to protect biodiversity at 80 percent of its
quarry sites situated in sensitive areas.