Green Promises: The Two Faces Of The Swiss Cement Giant Holcim

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) On the very day Holcim is fighting against a climate lawsuit in a court in Zug, the Swiss cement company is promoting its Net Zero plans at a congress just a few kilometres down the road. But how solid is this green promise? This content was published on September 22, 2025 - 09:00 8 minutes

I write about demographic developments, societal trends and debates in Switzerland. I joined SWI swissinfo after 15 years at a local newspaper in Zurich.

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• German Departme

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• Français fr Les deux visages de Holcim, géant suisse du ciment Read more: Les deux visages de Holcim, géant suisse du cimen
• Italiano it I due volti del gigante svizzero del cemento Holcim Read more: I due volti del gigante svizzero del cemento Holcim

Water will swallow their homes. Rising sea levels, a consequence of climate change, have hit the Indonesian island of Palau Pari hard. Four residents have therefore taken Holcim to court in Switzerland.

They argue that cement production accounts for about 8% of global CO2 emissions, and Holcim is one of the world's largest producers. Backed by several non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the lawsuit targets one key contributor.

This may seem arbitrary, but the lawsuit argues that even in complex systems someone must be held responsible.

If the courts rule that Holcim is partly liable for some of the climate-related damage on Pari, it would set a precedent. That is why this case has attracted so much attention. Holcim holds the first line of defence for all companies worldwide whose business harm the climate.

The reformed giant

The first act took place on Wednesday in canton Zug, where Holcim, like many other global corporations, has its headquarters. The cement giant is pushing to have the case dismissed which means the question of liability would never even make it to a full trial.

The Cantonal Court of Zug has not yet announced its decision, which is unlikely to be final anyway. Both sides are expected to exhaust all possible appeals.

The Indonesian plaintiffs, Ibu Asmania (centre left) and Arif Asmania (centre right) in front of the court in Zug. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

There is even a chance this case could make it all the way to Strasbourg. The European Court of Human Rights is considered progressive on climate issues – especially since 2024, when it ruled in favour of the so-called senior Women for Climate Protection against Switzerland .

Holcim has been rather cautious in its communication regarding this case. Have there been any talks about an out-of-court settlement with the plaintiffs from Pari? Could this be an option? The company declines to respond to these questions and refers to its official statement instead.

The statement says:“We are awaiting the court's decision. Regardless of the outcome, Holcim remains committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050, placing sustainability at the core of our strategy.”

The 44% problem

This is the image the company wants to convey to the public. In Winterthur, just one-hour's drive from the Cantonal Court in Zug, Clemens Wögerbauer, Holcim Switzerland's Chief Sustainability Officer, takes centre stage at the Swiss Green Economy Symposium (SGES), a conference that brings together business, politics and NGOs to exchange ideas and network on sustainability.

The Holcim delegation in Zug. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

Wögerbauer's message is clear: we all need concrete.“Concrete is the foundation of our prosperity, we tend to forget that. It's durable and inexpensive.” The challenge, he explains, lies in the fact that concrete primarily relies on the calcination of limestone, a process that generates CO2 and consumes significant energy.

He goes as far as posing the pressing question himself: how can such a company become CO2-neutral by 2050?“By activating every lever along the entire value chain,” he says. Wögerbauer talks about concrete recycling, replacing clinker as a binder and new concrete slabs with pre-stressed carbon cracks that can be dismantled and reused.

The unresolved problem is shown in a Holcim graph outlining its planned reduction path, the gradual lowering of CO2 emissions. By 2050, the company will have to capture and store or otherwise utilise 44% of emissions. The key term here is CCUS: Carbon Capture, Storage and Utilization.

Questionable ties

Holcim's Net Zero plans have been externally validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which is affiliated with the WWF, one of the few NGOs present at the Winterthur event.

“Companies are part of the problem, but also part of the solution,” says WWF spokesman Sebastian Obrist who represents the NGO at the symposium. He stresses that international companies have enormous influence and adds that they are needed“as allies to tackle climate change and species extinction.”

Critics accuse WWF of overlooking conflicts of interest and enabling greenwashing, something SBTi is also accused of. In 2024, SBTi's CEO Luiz Amaral stepped down after the decision to allow carbon offsets sparked internal turmoil.

Are these CO2 reduction commitments just smoke and mirrors and a way to buy time and avoid government intervention and control? Or, to put it another way: How credible is the green promise of companies like Holcim?

Who paid for these dreams?

Lukas Hetzel, Head of Communication and Public Affairs at Cemsuisse, the Swiss cement industry association, is also on the same panel. His tone is different from that of the previous speakers; he sounds more sceptical.“Dreams and goals are all very well, but we need clarity,“ he says. The costs of CO2 capture, estimated between CHF200 and CHF500 million per cement plant, are not financially viable for the industry. There is also a lack of transport capacities.“Where would electricity come from? We would never have enough power to run CCSU measures.“

Holcim, on the other hand, concentrates on what is feasible and what the company has achieved. It addressed Greenpeace Switzerland's 2021 criticism over toxic emissions at various global sites.“All reported cases were identified and fully resolved. We have finalised over 150 projects as part of our efforts to reduce environmental impact by 2024,” their press department said on request. As far as CO2 is concerned, it added that Holcim had cut specific emissions in Switzerland by more than 10% since 2021.

Most recently, the company has become more credible. Its last antitrust fine for price fixing dates back eight years. Allegations of financing terrorism linked to a plant in Syria have almost faded. Additionally, Holcim has consistently stressed that it was not aware of any of these issues. The cement company Lafarge, which merged with Holcim in 2015 and whose letter has since disappeared from the company's branding, was responsible for these past incidents, Holcim says.

Vote in canton Vaud

Image is crucial for the cement giant, especially in Switzerland where the population can steer outcomes through its democratic powers. On September 28 in canton Vaud, Holcim will face a vote on an initiative that aims to put the Mormont hill in the Eclépens under protection.

Holcim's controversial quarry in Éclépens. Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

Holcim runs a quarry in this area. In October 2020, climate activists opposed to the site occupied it. Once again, Holcim highlights both its environmental and climate efforts as well as the quarry's vital role for the construction industry.

For the company, the vote will also serve as a gauge of its public standing in Switzerland and of whether people trust its green promise.

Launched in Winterthur in 2013, the Swiss Green Economy Symposium (SGES) has steadily grown ever since. The congress serves as a networking platform bringing together traditional and sustainability-focused industries. This year's edition took place in Winterthur from September 2 to 4, with Swissinfo as a media partner.

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