Agua y Biodiversidad

Agua y Biodiversidad

Water and Biodiversity are integral to Etex’s Road to Sustainability 2030, with dedicated policies and goals to minimise our environmental footprint. Water is a key input in the manufacturing process of our fibre cement, gypsum, calcium silicate, and insulation products. We also recognise the impact our quarries, manufacturing sites and supply chain  can have on ecosystems and biodiversity, and we are committed to addressing these challenges responsibly.

Agua

Nuestras metas para 2030

  • Cubrir el 100% de nuestras fábricas con planes de gestión del agua al 2027.
  • Reducir nuestra intensidad de extracción de agua en un 20% para 2030. 

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Nuestros resultados 2024


0,79


Intensidad total de extracción de agua

(+0.8% vs. 2023) m3 por tonelada de bienes comercializables producidos


5.593


Volúmenes totales de extracción de agua en valores absolutos

(-10% vs. 2022 baseline) Megalitros

How do we achieve our goals?

How do we achieve our goals?
How do we achieve our goals?

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.

Discover our Water policy

Spotlight on water initiatives

Spotlight on water initiatives
Spotlight on water initiatives

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.

El aguafluye en nuestras plantas de placas de yeso

La gestión del agua es una parte esencial de nuestro #CaminoHaciaLaSostenibilidad2030. El agua potable es crucial, ya que la utilizamos para beber, bañarnos y regar las granjas, y también sustenta los ecosistemas.

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Biodiversity

Our 2030 goals

By 2027:

  • Cover 100% of manufacturing sites within key biodiversity areas (KBAs) with biodiversity assessments and management plans.
  • Cover 100% of Etex-operated quarries with biodiversity management plans.
    By 2030:
  • Cover 100% of manufacturing sites within or near (<5km) KBAs with biodiversity assessments and management plans.
  • Ensure 85% of key raw material suppliers with nature-related impacts (land-use, habitat destruction, deforestation) have biodiversity remediation and restoration plans in place.

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Our figures


31


operational sites owned, leased, or managed in or near key biodiversity areas.


12


active quarries in or near protected areas or key biodiversity.

How do we achieve our goals?

How do we achieve our goals?
How do we achieve our goals?

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.

Spotlight on biodiversity

Spotlight on biodiversity
Spotlight on biodiversity

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.