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(+0.8% vs. 2023) m3 per tonnes of sellable goods produced |
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(-10% vs. 2022 baseline) megalitres |
We have a Water policy which outlines our commitment to water stewardship by reducing withdrawal, maximising efficiency, and ensuring that the water used in our operations safely returns to the environment.
At Etex, responsible water management is essential for both environmental sustainability and long-term business resilience. While water remains an affordable resource, its availability—particularly in water-stressed regions and/or where usage is restricted—can impact operations. To proactively address these risks, we use databases like Aqueduct and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to assess vulnerabilities and guide mitigation efforts.
At the Maipú plant in Chile, we are implementing a circular approach to water management, focusing on reusing and recycling water in our industrial processes. By replacing freshwater with process water in our fibre cement operations, we reduced Maipú’s water withdrawal intensity by 18% in 2024, contributing to our broader company water targets. In 2025, these efforts are projected to save over 4,100m³ of freshwater per month in this plant, equivalent to more than one and a half Olympic swimming pools. With ongoing monitoring, we aim to reduce freshwater consumption by 37% compared to 2024, and ultimately, by 50% compared to 2023.
Water management is an essential part of our #RoadToSustainability2030. Freshwater is crucial, as we use it to drink, bathe, and irrigate our farms, and it also sustains ecosystems.
By 2027:
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We have a Biodiversity policy that outlines our commitment to preserving and promoting biodiversity. We assess risks and opportunities across our operations, develop management plans for both quarries and manufacturing sites, and engage suppliers on biodiversity considerations, prioritising locations based on their proximity to key biodiversity areas or protected areas. To further strengthen this commitment, we have approved company-wide biodiversity targets, which are now embedded in our Road to Sustainability 2030.
We are part of Eurogypsum and have representatives in all environmental and biodiversity working groups. In the Quarry Working Group, our mandate includes promoting sustainable quarrying and mining, cooperating with NGOs, and monitoring biodiversity-related legislative developments in the EU. On a local level, our businesses are members of similar associations.
In 2024, we conducted a proximity study to better plan our actions. Using the globally recognised International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) interactive map, we identified 31 manufacturing sites within or close to key biodiversity areas (KBAs) and protected zones. While our biodiversity targets cover all quarries, this study helps us organise our efforts where they matter the most, maximising the impact of our actions on nature preservation.