Tag: Allianz

  • CO2 removal in building materials: CDR alliance grows

    CO2 removal in building materials: CDR alliance grows

    Over the next few years, NextGen CDR will purchase CO2 removed from the air and permanently stored in building materials (carbon dioxide removal, CDR) from the Bern-based company Neustark at 18 locations. The CDR alliance includes Mitsubishi, South Pole, UBS and SwissRe.Neustark will ensure the high-quality, permanent removal of CO2 from the atmosphere for NextGen CDR in the coming years. The two companies have signed a multi-year agreement to this effect, according to a press release.

    The CO2 will be removed by Neustark at its sites in Switzerland, Germany, Liechtenstein, France, the UK and other European countries. The Bern-based ClimateTech company has developed an innovative process that captures biogenic CO2 at source.

    “We turned the world’s largest waste stream – demolition concrete – and other mineral waste materials into carbon sinks,” explains Neustark’s Head of CDR, Lisa Braune. “Partnering with carbon removal pioneers like NextGen is critical to scaling the impact of the CDR industry.”

    According to NextGen, NextGen has already removed 1500 tonnes of CO2. With 120,000 tonnes of high-quality carbon removal sold to various organisations, Neustark is among the top 10 worldwide.

    According to NextGen GDR, the alliance was “developed specifically for corporate buyers committed to Net Zero targets. It makes durable, high-quality CDRs accessible at a target price of $200 per tonne.” NextGen CDR is operated by Zurich-based climate consultancy South Pole and Mitsubishi Corporation, and supported by founding buyers Boston Consulting Group, Liechtenstein-based LGT Group, Tokyo-based shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Zurich-based reinsurer Swiss Re and major bank UBS. NextGen CDR plans to purchase a total of 1 million tonnes of CDR by 2025.

  • LafargeHolcim joins MIT's climate consortium

    LafargeHolcim joins MIT's climate consortium

    LafargeHolcim is a founding member of the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium ( MCSC ). The construction company announced this in a press release . The School of Engineering at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology launched this alliance on Thursday. It consists of academic staff from across the institute and 13 influential industry leaders from various industries. LafargeHolcim represents the construction industry there.

    The aim of this association of executives from various industries is to accelerate the implementation of specific and large-scale scalable solutions to combat climate change. The MCSC wants to reduce costs and the barriers for the use of the best available technologies and processes, it says on its website . The aim is also to accelerate the decommissioning of CO2-intensive energy generation and material production plants, to direct investments where they are most effective and to quickly transfer the best implementations from one industry to the next.

    "I am committed to building a net zero future and driving innovative and sustainable building solutions that are beneficial for people and the planet," LafargeHolcim's CEO Jan Jenisch is quoted in the press release. “Given the urgency of today's climate crisis, no single organization can tackle it alone. That's why I'm proud to join the MIT alliance of like-minded industry leaders and academic partners to jointly advance our climate protection efforts. "