Holcim

SIX: HOLN45Mixed / Improving· Provisional

0 followersCement·Zug, Switzerland·Founded 1912

www.holcim.com

The world's largest cement and building materials company, operating in over 70 countries and marketing low-carbon ECOPact products while still accounting for around 1.5% of global CO2 emissions.

45/100

Mixed / Improving· Provisional

ClimateTicker Green Score · how it's calculated

Greenwashing risk: mediumData confidence: high

Why it's on ClimateTicker

Holcim is the world's largest cement and building materials producer — an inherently high-emitting sector responsible for roughly 1.5% of global CO2 — that has nonetheless built one of the most credible decarbonization programs in heavy industry, with SBTi-validated 1.5°C-aligned targets, repeated CDP 'A' ratings, and active CCUS investment. The core tension is real: absolute emissions remain enormous (~124 million tonnes CO2e in 2024) and the process chemistry of cement clinker means deep cuts require carbon capture at scale that has not yet been proven commercially. The company's climate credentials are genuinely sector-leading, but the Lafarge-Syria terrorism-financing scandal — culminating in a 2026 criminal conviction — is a severe governance and integrity stain that investors cannot ignore.

laggardHolcim generates revenue by selling cement, aggregates, ready-mix concrete, and roofing/insulation products globally across infrastructure, residential, and non-residential construction markets; it increasingly earns a premium by marketing low-carbon ECOPact concrete and ECOPlanet cement lines, which together represented roughly 26–29% of segment net sales in 2024.

Commitments & Certifications

CDP: A (Climate) / A (Water Security) — CDP A-List 2025 ↗other: SBTN Nature Targets — adopted ↗SBTi: Targets validated — 1.5°C aligned (near-term 2030 and long-term 2050) ↗

Controversy & Greenwashing Watch

mediumAnti-Competitive Practices and Tax Controversies

Sustainalytics flagged Holcim as involved in moderate controversies associated with taxation and anti-competitive practices in various regions, and noted substantial political lobbying expenditures.source ↗

highLafarge Syria ISIS Terrorism Financing — Criminal Conviction

In April 2026, a Paris court found Lafarge (Holcim subsidiary) guilty of financing terrorist groups including ISIS with approximately €5.5 million between 2013–2014 to keep a Syria cement plant operational, with Lafarge's former CEO sentenced to six years in prison.source ↗

highLafarge US DOJ Guilty Plea — $777.8 Million Fine

Lafarge SA pled guilty in US federal court in 2022 and agreed to pay $777.8 million for providing material support to ISIS and the al-Nusrah Front through payments made between 2013 and 2014.source ↗

highLafarge Syria — Worker Endangerment Allegations

Court records and NGO complaints allege Lafarge kept Syrian workers in dangerous conflict-zone conditions, with employees subject to kidnapping, forced checkpoint crossings, and threats of salary suspension if absent.source ↗

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