Heidelberg Materials

Heidelberg Materials has a clear 2050 net-zero target. The report states that the company is progressing toward net zero, and external official company material confirms that its 2030 and 2050 targets are validated by SBTi in line with the cement sector 1.5°C roadmap and the SBTi Corporate Net Zero Standard. The 2025 report also states that Heidelberg Materials fully implemented CSRD requirements for the first time and expanded its TCFD reporting to include IFRS S1/S2.

SBTi-validated 2030 & 2050 targets aligned to cement 1.5°C roadmap.

Heidelberg Materials’ 2030 climate target includes reducing specific net CO₂ emissions per tonne of cementitious material. In 2025, the company reported 512 kg CO₂ / tonne cementitious material, down 3% year-on-year. The 2030 target table also shows Scope 1 reduction ambition and Scope 3 reduction targets, including a 25% absolute reduction in Scope 3 emissions from purchased cement and clinker versus 2020.

Scope 1 intensity & Scope 3 reduction targets; 25% Scope 3 cement/clinker.

Heidelberg Materials discloses Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions and has a Climate Policy covering Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. The report’s 2030 target table includes Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 reduction metrics, including gross Scope 2 CO₂e reduction and Scope 3 reduction from purchased cement and clinker. This gives useful value-chain evidence, although the most prominent operational KPI remains cement-specific Scope 1 intensity.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 with Climate Policy coverage.

Heidelberg Materials’ responsible extraction evidence is strongest through its Environmental Policy, biodiversity strategy, quarry reclamation approach, and responsible procurement. The report states that raw-material extraction reshapes landscapes and natural habitats, so Heidelberg Materials conducts biodiversity protection and enhancement measures at quarries, including impact assessments before first groundbreaking and long-term stakeholder collaboration.

Environmental Policy & biodiversity strategy; ESIA before quarry groundbreaking.

The main operational emissions-intensity metric is 512 kg specific net CO₂ emissions per tonne of cementitious material, Scope 1, reported for 2025. This is the most comparable emissions-intensity indicator for a cement / aggregates / building-materials benchmark. It is not aggregates-specific, but it is the core Group decarbonisation KPI.

512 kg CO2/t cementitious in 2025, -3% YoY.

The report highlights a 3% reduction in specific net CO₂ emissions in 2025. It also states that revenue from sustainable products increased to 37% of total revenue. Absolute emissions progress is less prominently presented in the summary sections than intensity progress, so for benchmarking the strongest comparable evidence is specific CO₂ intensity reduction, not a single absolute-emissions reduction figure.

3% specific net CO2 reduction in 2025; intensity-led framing.

Heidelberg Materials recorded Group water consumption for the first time in 2025. Total water consumption was 77.8 million m³, of which 31.5 million m³ was in water-risk regions. The total volume of recycled and reused water was 242.5 million m³, and Group water intensity was 3,623.1 m³ / € million revenue. The report also notes that water withdrawal and discharge increased partly because the Brevik CCS plant withdraws water from the North Sea for cooling and then returns it, without increasing the plant’s water consumption.

77.8 Mm³ consumption (first time Group); 31.5 Mm³ in water-risk regions.

Heidelberg Materials uses water-risk analysis based on internationally recognised WRI models and tracks water management plans and recycling systems in water-risk areas. In 2025, 23% of cement locations and 44% of aggregates locations affected by water risks had water management plans. Water recycling systems were implemented at 66% of cement locations and 59% of aggregates locations affected by water risks. This is useful marine / extractive evidence because aggregates and quarries often depend on water management, dewatering and recycling.

WRI-based water-risk analysis; 66% cement sites with recycling.

Heidelberg Materials has strong biodiversity disclosure. In 2025, 373 quarries were located in or near biodiversity-sensitive areas. 82% of quarries located in or near high biodiversity value areas had a biodiversity management plan, up from 70% in 2024. The company also commits to contributing to a nature-positive future and aligns its approach with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

373 quarries near sensitive areas; 82% with BAPs.

For Heidelberg Materials, the main extractive impact is quarry land-use and habitat disturbance, but there is also a marine aggregates layer through Hanson UK. The company’s report states that each quarry is now defined as a separate activity with more precise quarry-specific coordinates, improving biodiversity and location-based reporting. External Heidelberg Materials UK information confirms that Hanson Marine Aggregates extracts sand and gravel from fully licensed marine aggregate extraction areas around the UK coastline, and supplies around 5 million tonnes of marine aggregate annually to the UK, France and Belgium.

Quarry-specific coordinates; Hanson Marine ~5 Mt/yr marine aggregates.

Heidelberg Materials has a 2030 commitment to ensure that all extraction sites have comprehensive reclamation plans. In 2025, 79% of quarries had reclamation plans, up from 75% in 2024. The target aligns with the “Restoration” level of the mitigation hierarchy. External UK sustainability information also states that all active UK quarries, 44 aggregate and 3 cement, have reclamation plans in compliance with UK permitting requirements.

79% quarries with reclamation plans (2030 target 100%).

Heidelberg Materials is not a tailings-heavy mining company, so formal tailings storage facility / GISTM evidence is not central. The closest equivalent is management of quarry extraction residues, secondary raw materials, recycled aggregates, excavated material, recycled asphalt, recycled glass and returned excess concrete. The company’s circularity metric covers waste-based alternative fuels, alternative raw materials, cementitious materials, recycled aggregates, excavated material, recycled asphalt pavements, recycled glass and returned concrete.

Not tailings-heavy; secondary materials & recycled aggregates evidence.

Heidelberg Materials has a strong circularity target. By 2030, it aims to process more than 35 million tonnes of secondary materials per year, compared with a 2020 baseline of around 27.2 million tonnes. In 2025, the target table shows 29.0 million tonnes of secondary materials processed. The company also reports that 37% of revenue came from sustainable products in 2025, with a 2030 target of more than 50%.

29 Mt secondary materials processed in 2025; 2030 target >35 Mt.

The report provides strong environmental-management evidence through CSRD-compliant sustainability reporting, quarry impact assessments, reclamation plans, biodiversity management plans and water-risk management. It also states that environmental impact assessments are conducted at all quarries before first groundbreaking as part of the approval application process. However, no a simple headline number for environmental fines, major environmental incidents or permit breaches in the sections reviewed was identified in reviewed public materials. Benchmark wording should therefore be: strong permitting / environmental management evidence; headline fine or incident count not clearly identified in reviewed materials.

Strong CSRD/EMS framework; headline incident/fine count not identified.

Heidelberg Materials has strong supplier due diligence evidence. In 2025, it continued its Responsible Procurement initiative, including a global supplier risk assessment programme with biodiversity as one input factor for supplier gross environmental risk. Supplier sustainability assessments from IntegrityNext are integrated into the Ariba platform and used for purchasing decisions. The company’s 2030 target is for 80% of critical supplier expenditure to be with suppliers endorsed with a green ESG rating; in 2025, the Supplier Sustainability Performance Rate was 72%, up from 64% in 2024

72% Supplier Sustainability Performance Rate; 2030 target 80%.