Holcim sustainability score: 29/100
Better than 13% of Construction / Real Estate
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Holcim is a Swiss multinational cement, aggregates, and ready-mix concrete producer, founded in 1912 and headquartered in Zug. With 2022 revenue of CHF 29.2 billion, it operates across 44 markets and is among the world's largest construction materials companies.
More about Holcim
The sector is carbon-intensive; cement production alone accounts for ~8% of global CO2 emissions.
Founded 1912Head office Zug, SwitzerlandStaff ~45,000Revenue ~CHF 16.2BWebsite ↗
Holcim reports comprehensive emissions data and leads in construction waste recycling, but relies overwhelmingly on intensity targets that mask stagnant absolute emissions and hide reliance on unproven CCUS technology. The Lafarge Syria terrorism financing case ($778M fine, ongoing French trial), the admitted climate lawsuit, and the Mormont quarry conflict expose fundamental tensions between extraction-based business models and credible sustainability.
Holcim scores 29/100 (Significant gaps) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified May 2026.
That places Holcim joint 753rd of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 32nd of 40 in Construction / Real Estate.
What is Holcim doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain (8/10, 7/10). Weakest on Controversies & Red Flags and Emissions Trajectory (2/10, 3/10).
Where Holcim lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Its record on controversiesDeal with the findings under question 10, in public.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow its emissions are falling.
- How clean its energy isShow at least half its energy is renewable, with a transition plan.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations8/10No verified figures published with their method and a falling trend.
- Emissions from its supply chain7/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling3/10No evidence its emissions are falling.
- How clean its energy is4/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature6/10No verified restoration beyond its own footprint, or supply chain not mapped for nature risk.
- How it uses materials and handles waste6/10No verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
- Its effect on water6/10No water stewardship programme or verified fall in water use.
- Its climate targets5/10Its targets aren't science-based or committed to the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports7/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies2/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Holcim's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Holcim's score based on?
21 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
48% of them were published by Holcim itself; the rest come from independent sources.
Scored on 4 April 2026 under an earlier version of our method. We're re-checking it under the current method.
11 of 21 sources are independent of the company.
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
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How does Holcim compare with other construction / real estate companies?
Where Holcim sits among construction / real estate peers.
Among the 40 major construction / real estate brands we've scored, Holcim is tied =32nd of 40, with 3 others.
Who scores higher in Construction / Real Estate?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Holcim.
Karma Kitchen operates six-to-eight London dark kitchen sites with a small 27-person team.
See the breakdown →Galliford Try reports verified Scope 1+2 emissions but full Scope 3 remains unquantified, with materials-related emissions (95% of footprint) tracked only via unverified spend-based estimates.
See the breakdown →Mace reports mixed operational emissions (Scope 1 falling, Scope 2 rising) but excludes purchased materials and subcontracted works from Scope 3, masking the bulk of its supply-chain footprint.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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