It was during the pandemic that Holcim became more deeply intentional in its contribution towards sustainability. Being the country’s building solutions leader, the company planned on how it could increase its positive impact on the environment and society as it grows the business.
Holcim Philippines president and CEO Horia Adrian said, “In crises, there are companies that are focused inwards: Trying to reduce cost, reduce people, and protect themselves from the storm. And there are more courageous companies that decided to think outwards: to think about what opportunities this kind of situation can bring to us.”
It was during that time that more energy was devoted to engaging people on the company’s strong sense of purpose, highlighting the many ways Holcim Philippines is contributing to progress beyond cement. The company put a spotlight on the range of initiatives that contribute to sustainable development such as helping the country in managing waste.
“Holcim Philippines is providing sustainable waste management solutions to the Philippines, helping the country to grow greener and have a cleaner environment. It is one of the largest companies in the recycling business,” Adrian added.
Heart for sustainability
Caption: Meeting with Philippine Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga (centre)
Holcim prides itself on its commitment to becoming a net-zero company with decarbonization and circularity as key levers. Sustainability is a core value of the company driving its efforts to accelerate greening of operations, expansion of green building solutions, and engagement of key stakeholders to support the shift towards construction that uplifts people and the planet.
“By 2050, on our beautiful planet Earth, there will be more than 2.5 million people compared to today, living in cities. These 2.5 billion people will have to be accommodated in new cities that have not yet been built,” Adrian noted.
“Now if we continue to build as we used to build in the past, we will end up consuming much more than what our planet can regenerate every year.”
He explained that to contribute to sustainability, the building industry should reduce the materials that are being used, reuse them as much as possible, and recycle them into new structures. He added that the company is committed to providing solutions for building more, with less material.
“It finally comes down to using the limited amount of resources that we have wisely. We have to be able to go forward growing more efficiently.
”Acknowledging that raw resources are finite, Holcim moves away from the linear “make, take, waste” approach of operating towards a more circular process that aims to “reduce, reuse, and recycle”.
Holcim has been organising training and awareness sessions on sustainability for its stakeholders and employees. Aside from that, it also engages with different levels of decision-makers from the central government, or the local authorities, architects, and designers.
Worldwide, Holcim has recycled more than 50 million tons of materials and about one million tons in the Philippines last year. It has also reduced freshwater usage by 70% in the past year.
All hands on deck
Caption: Holcim Philippines has launched its green cement Excel ECOPlanet in Northern Luzon
“I know that there is only one CEO in a company, but it is going to be delivered by the team,” Adrian said of their achievements and sustainability efforts.
He said that they started by creating a stimulating working environment for their employees. “Everybody should come to work with a big smile on their face and also leave work with the biggest smile on their face after the contribution that they have delivered during the day.”
Second, they are committed to making their customers successful and building lasting partnerships with them while gaining their trust and loyalty.
They are also a supportive partner to communities not only during times of crisis but every year. “We look at the needs of the communities, affordable housing, the water supply electricity needs, and education,” Adrian added.
“To deliver on the sustainability targets and to help people build more sustainably and more efficiently in the future, it is a teamwork. It cannot be done by one player.”
He highlighted the importance of an entire system working towards implementing sustainability goals. “You need the policies in place. So, that's the job of the policymakers, to have the policies in place to specify green building requirements in their policies. You need to have the specifiers, the architects, and the designers that will use the design using fewer resources in the future. Of course, it will come back to us to decarbonise our footprint. We are ready to provide solutions for building greener in the future from this point of view.”
Inspiration for the future
For Adrian, he finds inspiration in the people he meets every day and how he makes an impact through what he is doing at Holcim.
“I mentioned that Holcim is not only the best company in the industry in terms of operational performance and financial performance, but also, in my opinion, the one with the strongest sense of purpose in the industry.”
He said he is very much driven to be winning in the building solutions industry in the Philippines. More than wanting to become the best player, he wants people to see that being best in the field means caring for the environment and communities.
“We have a set of values in our company that are linked to the way we want to win in the market. And I'm speaking here about entrepreneurial mindset, which is coming to how can we continuously improve, how can we make things better every day by providing a better customer experience.”
Horia Adrian
"My advice is simple. We have a beautiful planet. Everywhere you go you see astonishing places. You see beautiful flowers, nature and animals and the ocean and waters. It would be a pity to lose this. Let us preserve this for future generations. Everybody should be enjoying what we are enjoying today."
Horia Adrian
* Editor's notes: This article is part of the Cxociety Coffee Table Book project (The Project) which chronicles the journey and experiences of senior business, operations, finance and technology leaders in Asia in recent years. The Project illustrates the tenacity, ingenuity and resiliency of the human spirit in the face of seemingly endless challenges.
With nearly 50 stories chronicled in The Project, it is a must-read compendium of learnings and experiences from seasoned professionals in the region.
