Holcim's low-carbon cement reaches 40% of total sales in H1 2026

Holcim's low-carbon cement sales reached 40% of its total volumes in the first half of 2026, signaling accelerating demand for sustainable building materials that could reshape global cement trade flows as construction sectors face tightening emissions regulations, the company said July 31.

The Swiss building materials company said net sales of its ECOPlanet low-carbon cement brand rose as developers and contractors increasingly specify lower-emissions products to meet green building standards.

Holcim's ECOPact low-carbon ready-mix concrete accounted for 30% of total ready-mix sales in H1 2026, while the company increased recycled construction and demolition materials 36% to 4.7 million metric tons compared with the prior-year period.

The shift suggests traditional high-carbon cement exports may face growing market resistance, particularly in emissions-sensitive European and North American markets where regulatory pressure is intensifying.

Holcim's net sales rose 5.2% year over year to CHF7.9 billion ($8.8 billion), but its profit margin narrowed amid cost pressures across its operations despite volume growth.

The company continues to implement its NextGen 2030 strategy, expanding low-carbon product portfolios and circular construction solutions as cement markets transition toward lower-emissions alternatives.

Acquisition push

The company closed seven transactions in H1 2026 to expand its cement and aggregates footprint, including Peru's Cementos Pacasmayo and Romania's Uranus Pluton SRL. These takeovers position Holcim to capture growing cement demand in Latin America and Eastern Europe, where it said infrastructure spending is accelerating.

Holcim also acquired Belgium's Jacobs NV, Germany's Josef Klösters Kies & Beton and New Zealand's Stevenson Group ready-mix business, as well as Germany's Xella. The company divested its Lebanon operations, including activities in Cyprus.

The Pacasmayo acquisition gives Holcim greater exposure to Peru's cement market, where construction activity has rebounded following political instability in 2023-2024. The Romanian deal strengthens its position in a market benefiting from EU infrastructure funding. The Xella acquisition added 22 circular construction hubs, bringing Holcim's total to 134.