“Collaboration is the way forward to lower the carbon emissions in the construction industry”

“Collaboration is the way forward to lower the carbon emissions in the construction industry”

Consolis in Spain, and building materials company CEMEX, as well as Spanish logistics center developer Montepino, emphasized the importance of partnerships to combine solutions from the entire production chain and achieve more sustainable results. This was highlighted at a round table organized by Consolis in Spain at Rebuild 2023, the largest construction trade fair in Spain.

“We are committed to taking the lead in the sustainable transformation in our industry, and I am pleased to see the Consolis ecosystem of climate committed partners expanding. This is an important step for Consolis and key to addressing the environmental challenges“, says Mikael Stöhr CEO Consolis.

Reducing the environmental footprint in the construction sector requires the involvement of the industry’s key players. Consolis Tecnyconta, the Spanish subsidiary of Consolis Group, a European leader in precast concrete solutions, links its sustainable solutions and products with other players in the production chain, from suppliers to end customers.

Consolis Green Spine Line^®, certified products with lower carbon emissions, are now being assembled in the construction of Montepino’s pioneer logistics centre in Illescas (Toledo). This is thanks to a previous collaboration for decarbonization between Montepino, and Consolis Spain.

Consolis Spain organized the roundtable “Sustainability in Construction” at the Spanish construction trade fair Rebuild 2023 to discuss how to accelerate the transformation of the sector. Marcelo Miranda, CEO of Consolis Spain, José Luis Sáez, Quality Manager of CEMEX Spain, Marta Esquivias, ESG Manager of Montepino, Tania Guajardo, Sustainability Manager of Consolis Spain, and Roberto Monzón, Commercial Director of Consolis Spain, moderated the event.

Marcelo Miranda highlighted the need for cooperation between all parties and pointed out “that significant progress is already being made in sustainability, which means an increasingly fast transformation“. In this regard, he pointed out that “Consolis Spain has positioned itself as a hub that promotes sustainability in all links of the value chain, and also seeks disruptive ideas by working with universities and startups“.

For his part, José Luis Sáez said, “CEMEX welcomes companies like Consolis Spain, which makes us faster and better. Our goal is to become carbon neutral by 2050, and with the support of our customers we could achieve it sooner. Cement and concrete are either sustainable or they will not be. Our customers are asking us for products with a lower environmental impact, and we are moving in that direction,” Sáez said.

“If we do not all join in, the transformation is impossible,” agreed Marta Esquivias, who also noted that “the Consolis Spain product is already a reality, it is already being used on site” However, she considered that the sector is still in an “innovation and study phase“, so it is important to accelerate the change towards decarbonization.

A concrete example of this interplay of sustainability efforts is the construction of Montepino’s logistics center in Illescas (Toledo), which covers more than 40,000 square meters. It is the first large logistics project built with certified sustainable and low-carbon precast concrete. Green Spine Line^® certified products have been used in this project, having 15% lower CO₂ emission compared to industry standard.

“We are currently undergoing an intensive cultural change in our company. In addition to reducing our carbon footprint, we are investing a lot of resources and working on profound changes in our production processes, materials, and equipment to gradually integrate sustainability even more into our daily work. And always in collaboration with our entire team of employees,” Miranda concludes.