2023 was a challenging year for the entire construction industry. In addition to major issues such as climate change, resource scarcity and skills shortages, rising mortgage interest rates and high inflation challenged the whole industry and did not stop at Xella. However, we are proud to say that we have continued to deliver on our mission to provide efficient, affordable and sustainable solutions for residential and commercial buildings across Europe. We have achieved noticeable progress despite the financial pressures of the market situation.
As a company, we have faced these challenging times and have found ways to remain true to pursue our strategic and sustainability goals. As Xella, we play a proactive role in reducing our impact on the environment and contributing to the fight against climate change by developing products and processes that use less CO2. We eliminate waste and increase the reuse or recycling of products. We are committed to the safety of our employees and to creating opportunities for them without bias or discrimination and we have also made progress in our community engagement.
Here are some highlights:
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We are reducing CO2e emissions and provide building materials with a low CO2 footprint:
With our Scopes 1, 2 and 3 targets now approved by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), we have a clear roadmap in place for reducing our scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions by 42% by 2030 and our scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services by 25%. The first target will be achieved through an increasingly energy-efficient production, a growing use of renewable energies and the phasing out of coal in Xella’s plants. The second target will be achieved through the deepening of partnerships with our key suppliers, the optimisation of recipes, and the development of the circularity of our materials.
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We are developing the circularity of building materials:
For Xella, circularity means embedding a regenerative approach into every aspect of our processes, based on the almost complete recyclability of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) and calcium-silicate units (CSU). By the end of 2030, we aim to stop landfill of any AAC or CSU leftovers, as they are suitable for further use in our production and are almost completely recyclable.
To further develop the recyclability of our products, we are working on several projects: building our value chain to receive secondary materials from recycling companies, developing new products based on crushed and milled AAC coarse material, etc.. Collaboration within the Xella Group - from our technical and research department, Xella Technologie- und Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, to digital solutions for production - and with external partners, building partnerships throughout our supply chain, will be crucial to achieving these goals.
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We make Xella a safe and inclusive workplace:
We have made safety the core value by which we operate the business. Through our significant investment in safety trainings, "safe work. safe life" has become part of our corporate DNA and culture. Our positive hiring protocols and promotion of work-life balance support our commitment to diversity and inclusion for all employees. We continued to embed a culture of mutual accountability and made significant investments in our Total Safety Leadership Program. We are seeing positive results with a significant reduction in accidents.