CRH has continued to reduce its CO2e emissions while delivering significant business growth. CRH’s recently released 2024 Sustainability Report states that in 2024 the group’s CO2e intensity fell to 0.8kg/US$ revenues (2023: 0.9kg/US$ revenues) for Scope 1 and Scope 2 (market) emissions. In 2024, CRH's Scope 1 and Scope 2 (market) absolute CO2e emissions decreased by four per cent, from 31Mt in 2023 to 29.7Mt in 2024, as the company made further progress implementing the key levers in its decarbonisation roadmap. This offset the impact of an increase in emissions arising from changes in its business portfolio. Adjusting for the impact of acquisitions, divestitures and other reporting methodology changes, CRH’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 (market) CO2e emissions have decreased by 17 per cent since 2021.
CRH Group has also improved its cement specific net CO2 emissions per tonne of cementitious product target of 520kg by 2025. The company's cement-specific net CO2 emissions per tonne of cementitious product reduced to 537kg (2023: 562kg) on an as reported basis. Adjusting for the impact of changes in CRH’s portfolio since the target was set in 2019, its cement-specific net CO2 emissions/t of cementitious product was 530kg in 2024. This represents a 32 per cent reduction on 1990 levels.
CRH’s 2030 Decarbonisation Roadmap maps out the key steps in achieving our target to reduce its absolute CO2e emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. A significant portion of the actions required to deliver on the 2030 roadmap are based on known technologies, well-established operational excellence programmes and activities in which CRH has a proven track record of delivery.
This roadmap includes an incremental capital expenditure of approximately US$150m per annum on average, to implement and execute, which is subject to strict internal investment criteria.
The Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) has validated the CRH's targets for both the cement and non-cement businesses for Scope 1 and 2, as well as Scope 3 for
purchased clinker and cement, to be in line with a 1.5°C trajectory and the company commits to reduce:
• gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 33.5 per cent per tonne of cementitious product by 2030 from a 2021 base year
• absolute gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions from other activities by 42 per cent by 2030 from a 2021 base year
• gross Scope 3 GHG emissions by 23.5 per cent from purchased clinker and cement per tonne purchased over the same time frame.
In addition, the company reduced its clinker factor to 75.3 per cent (2023: 76.5 per cent) in 2024. As part of its drive to tap into the circular economy, CRH recycled 44.7Mt of wastes and by-products. It used 9Mt of alternative raw materials while its subsidiary cement plants used 2.2Mt of wastes and by-products as alternative fuels, up from 2.1Mt in 2023. Furthermore, 25 per cent of the electricity consumed by the company was generated by renewable resources.
