Lafarge has made a significant breakthrough in reducing its carbon footprint by exceeding its CO2 emissions reduction target one year in advance, the company announced in a statement.

Lafarge is following a voluntary approach on a global scale. For 10 years, the Group has been publicly committed to reducing its global net emissions per tonne of cement by 20% between 1990 and 2010, within the framework of a partnership with WWF International.

At the end of 2009, the Group had reduced its emissions by 20.7%*, thanks to the mobilisation of operating units in three areas:

    - The improvement of energy efficiency through mastered production processes
    - The substitution of fossil fuels by alternative energy sources, such as biomass or industrial waste
    - The development of new ranges of products meeting market requirements, using additives and recovering by-products from other industries.

* Figure verified by Ernst and Young