Heidelberg Materials, operator of Ketton cement works, named in CO₂ emmissions list by Carbon Major

A building materials company has reaffirmed its commitment to being net zero by 2050 after being named in a carbon emissions report.

Heidelberg Materials, the operator of the Ketton cement works, was named by Carbon Major as one of the companies with the greatest increases in global CO2 emissions.

Compared to its historical statistics of contributing 0.10% to global CO2 emissions, this increased to 0.15% in 2023.

The company has remained ranking 108th in the world for highest carbon emissions.

A Heidelberg Materials UK spokesperson said: “While we don’t comment on third party reports, what we can say is that Heidelberg Materials is making good progress towards our ambitious 2030 sustainability targets, including reducing production emissions across our business.

“As part of this, we recently carried out carbon capture trials as part of C-Capture’s project at Ketton cement works.

“Looking ahead, we remain committed to achieving net zero by 2050 and are continuing to invest to achieve this goal.”

The Carbon Majors report measures the attributable emissions of the 169 biggest active producers of oil, gas, coal, and cement around the world.

By combining these reported production levels with an estimate of the pollution created in the production process, Carbon Majors estimates how much CO2 or other greenhouse gases each company creates.

According to Heidelberg’s own studies, its carbon emissions are down and on target to achieve 15% reduction by 2030.

Owners of Hanson UK, which runs Ketton cement works and Grange Top quarry in Pit Lane, changed its name to Heidelberg Materials in October 2023.

A planning application is currently lodged with Rutland County Council by the company to expand the quarry so that it can secure the future of the cement works for another 25 years.

The application has been divisive, with a mixture of support and strong objections.

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