Environment

With 90% of the world’s goods moved by sea, decarbonization is a critical goal for the shipping industry. Responsible maritime operations are essential to long-term success, resilient supply chains and sustainable growth for future generations.

At Holcim Trading & Shipping, we’re committed to decarbonizing maritime logistics and reducing our environmental impact across our operations.

Toward net zero shipping

Shipping is the most carbon-efficient way to move goods globally, emitting far less CO₂ per tonne-kilometre than all other modes of transportation. Yet, its massive scale means that the sector is still responsible for roughly 2% of global CO₂ emissions.

This presents a challenge: how do we lower emissions further in the lowest-emission transportation sector? The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a 2030 target of a 40% efficiency gain that can be met with significant improvements across fleets and operations.

The IMO target also requires a 50% reduction in total carbon emissions from international shipping by 2050 compared to 2008.

Achieving these goals relies on the development and deployment of zero-carbon technologies. The next decade will be critical for designing and scaling solutions that make carbon-neutral shipping commercially viable.

IMO targets

40 %

efficiency gain by 2030

50 %

reduction in total carbon emissions by 2050

Our commitment to a healthy planet

While Holcim Trading & Shipping only contributes to a tiny fraction to the shipping industry's overall CO₂ emissions, we are fully committed to playing our part in the global shift to lower-carbon shipping.

We operate with a goal of zero harm, embedding sustainability in everything we do, from daily operations to long-term strategy.

Our aim is to both decarbonize our activities and offer products with lower environmental footprints that support climate-resilient infrastructure globally. We believe that collaboration among value chain stakeholders and focusing on maritime decarbonization is key to a sustainable maritime future.

We act throughout the value chain by:

Collaborating with our suppliers to implement high-impact changes to sourcing and material usage
Evaluating ship owners for CO₂ performance and advocate for efficient vessels
Supporting proper port equipment maintenance to prevent environmental harm

We aim to align our efforts with IMO targets to cut carbon emissions from shipping. These reductions are a first step toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

As signatories of the Sea Cargo Charter, we are also committed to carbon transparency. We assess and disclose the environmental impact of our chartering activities, advancing an industry-wide push for net-zero shipping.

Health & safety

We set high health and safety standards in the shipping and trading industry by actively managing risk and maintaining open communication

Human rights

Holcim Trading & Shipping upholds human rights in maritime logistics through due diligence across operations, procurement and supply chains.