Lafarge plans to reduce its CO2 emissions by 33% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels as the company announces new CO2 and sustainability targets today.  Within the framework of its partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the group is also underlining its commitment to innovative sustainable construction based on solutions that enable the design of "low-energy" buildings that will be used tomorrow.

As a first step, in the context of its partnership with WWF International, Lafarge had committed to reducing its CO2 emissions per ton of cement by 20% between 1990 and 2010. Not only was this target met one year ahead of schedule in 2009, but it was also exceeded, as the Group achieved a 21.7% reduction in its CO2 emissions per ton of cement at the end of 2010. Today, every ton of cement produced by Lafarge emits an average of 606kg of CO2, 168kg less than in 1990.

Thanks to its new target of cutting CO2 emissions by 33% per ton of cement produced, the Group will emit an average of 518kg of CO2 per ton of cement produced in 2020, around 250kg less than in 1990.

In terms of sustainable construction, buildings currently account for 40% of global primary energy consumption; reducing this is one of the key challenges of efforts to combat climate change. This energy is mainly consumed through its daily use during the lifetime of the building. Lafarge is therefore undertaking to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings and reduce their carbon footprint, by setting clear objectives for 2015:

- develop 10 new ranges of innovative construction products or solutions, from its research projects
- contribute to the design of 500 construction projects that are more energy-efficient.
 
Following the announcement of these new objectives, Bruno Lafont, Chairman and CEO of Lafarge, commented: "Lafarge has made the reduction of its CO2 emissions a major objective, and has met its commitments. I am pleased with our partnership with WWF, which helps us to progress even faster. It is no longer a matter of just reducing the CO2 emitted in the production of our materials, but also of developing construction solutions for buildings that consume less energy."