HOLCIM (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

To maintain the property’sfirm environmental focus, the project team specified Holcim’sflagship product – ECOPact Zero concrete.

How does it work?ECOPact uses alternative materials to reduce the environmental footprint of the concrete mix.ECOPact alone reduces embodied carbon emissions by 30-60% without the use of offsetsSimilar technical qualities of conventional concreteECOPact zero goes one step further buy offsetting the residual emissions of ECOPact concrete to achieve 100 emissions reduction.The issueThe built environment is responsible for 39% of global energy-related emissions. Over a quarter of these emissions arise from running existing buildings, whilst 11% is attributable to the embodied emissions from the construction of new buildings. Did you know – concrete is the most widely used building material in the world? The production of concrete is highly energy intensive and generates significant emissions.Business GrowthAs we continue to grow and expand our store footprint nationally, in 2022 we are building a new home for Universal Store. Our objective is to accelerate our journey to a sustainable future, so we have made it a priority to integrate environmentally sustainable features in the design of this exciting new project. This also entails considering the climate impacts of this project. EcoPact - Zero ConcreteWe will need tons of concrete and other materials for the structure of our new Universal Store home. But the good news is that some pioneers are investing in research and development to deliver carbon neutral concrete.We are working closely with our construction partners - developer TradeCoast Central, and builder McNab to deliver a sustainable building. The Universal Store new purpose-built facility will make use of carbon neutral concrete supplied locally by Holcim. Their EcoPact concrete can be made carbon neutral by compensating for residual carbon emissions. In fact this product is so much better for the planet, it has just won the Best of the Best 2021 Sustainability Awards from Architecture and Design.We chose this product to achieve the following benefits:·Conserve natural resources - the product uses alternative materials (fly ash, blast furnace slag or silica fume) instead of virgin raw materials (mainly limestone and silica). ·Reduce the carbon footprint of the project - this product achieves a reduction of 30-100% of embodied emissions related to concrete usage in comparison to standard concrete. ·Use our influence and leadership to support the transition to a low carbon economy·Demonstrate that a sustainable future is within reach.