Nature and biodiversity

Our commitments:

The Group conducts systematic assessment of the ecological significance of the landscapes where it operates, ensuring that any operational decision is driven by biodiversity conservation objectives, risk mitigation, and a commitment to responsible environmental stewardship.

• Protected Areas Engagement: we adopt a precautionary, science-based approach to all activities in or near protected areas, ensuring full alignment with the mitigation hierarchy and applicable legal frameworks. As a core commitment, we strive to avoid impacts on the most sensitive and irreplaceable ecosystems. Accordingly, Cementir does not develop new extraction projects, including prospecting and exploration within UNESCO World Heritage Sites or within IUCN Category Ia–Ib protected areas which include strictly protected nature reserves and wilderness areas. For the other categories of protected areas, including IUCN Categories II and IV and on the existing operation sites where activities are legally permissible, we apply a structured mitigation hierarchy to minimize potential impacts, implement targeted measures to manage ecological pressures, and responsibly address any residual effects.
• On-site Monitoring: we carry out systematic, annual ecological monitoring within and around our operational areas to track priority species and key habitats. These assessments aim to evaluate conservation status, identify trends, and detect potential changes over time. Monitoring activities can include population surveys, habitat condition analysis, and the use of standardized biodiversity indicators to ensure data consistency. Findings are documented and integrated into site-level management systems and plans, enabling timely interventions to mitigate risks and support long-term ecosystem resilience.
• Biodiversity Plans: we are progressively developing and implementing science-based Biodiversity Management Plans across all extraction sites located in areas of high biodiversity value. These plans are developed using ecological baseline studies, species inventories, and habitat assessments to define site-specific conservation priorities and measurable targets. Each Biodiversity Management Plan is complemented by a comprehensive Rehabilitation Plan, designed to restore ecological integrity during operations and after closure. Rehabilitation strategies include soil stabilization, native species replanting, and habitat connectivity measures to support long-term ecosystem resilience and biodiversity recovery.
• Biodiversity Governance: we ensure robust governance of biodiversity through a structured organizational framework designed to effectively implement this Policy. Oversight is provided by HSE functions, which ensure compliance and the integration of biodiversity considerations into operations. At site level, designated Biodiversity Focal Points coordinate local activities, monitor progress against defined objectives and maintain continuous information flow with central functions. This governance model reinforces accountability, facilitates knowledge sharing, and drives continuous improvement.
• Stakeholder Engagement: we are committed to advancing biodiversity outcomes through proactive collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including scientific institutions, non-governmental organizations, local communities, industry partners and regulatory bodies. Engagement activities focus on sharing knowledge and results of the science-based approach, co-developing conservation initiatives, and promoting best practices for habitat protection and species preservation.

Our targets:

• Rehabilitation plan in all active sites in 2025: 100%. ---> COMPLETED
• Biodiversity value assessment of active sites by 2030: 100% ---> ONGOING & COMPLETED ALREADY FOR THE PRIORITIZED SITES.
• Biodiversity value assessment of all sites and Biodiversity Management Plan for high biodiversity sites by 2030: 100% ---> ONGOING

Cementir Group’s long-term targets are to secure sufficient long term mineral deposits for its operations whilst contributing to the development of more responsible and sustainable resource management strategies.

The Company is committed to the exploration and adoption of alternative resources, significantly reducing CO₂ emissions, decreasing reliance on natural resources, and preserving existing reserves.

This approach not only mitigates the need for new extraction sites but also underscores Company’s dedication to innovative and sustainable resource management.

Kudsk & Dahl, Denmark

Kudsk & Dahl, a Cementir’s subsidiary producing aggregates in Denmark, is deeply committed to enhancing biodiversity and rehabilitation at its two quarries in Nr. Hostrup and Dybvad.

In 2023, it launched a biodiversity and rehabilitation Roadmap, becoming a pioneer in Denmark’s extractive industry. 

In 2025, the company continued its efforts, transitioning several gravel pits machines from diesel to electric, substantially reducing CO₂ emissions, noise, and improving working conditions. 

Moreover, Kudsk & Dahl hosted local school students for an educational visit, where they built birdhouses, planted seeds, and learned about local birdlife from an ornithological expert.

Belgium – Initiatives at Clypot, Gaurain and Barry

CCB, with its depleted quarry in Gaurain, active quarry in Clypot and future quarry in Barry is continuously working on initiatives for enhancing biodiversity. Continuing from its involvement in the 'Life in Quarries Project', CCB is launching new initiatives for this purpose. CCB’s commitment extends beyond the completion of the project, with a focus on maintaining and amplifying biodiversity actions. Upon the finalization of the project, all the commitments listed in the individual charter are framed legally dispensation for protected species granted by Belgian authorities.

Each year starting from 2022, a summary annual report has been drawn up in order to list the actions carried out and publish the monitoring indicators. Since 2022, the Group has been in the post-life phase which is a long-term commitment to maintain in-life actions for a period of 15 years. During 2023, Group’s initiatives started to bear fruits, with the accumulation of rainwater favoured by a clay-based substrate and the first aquatic plants starting to colonize the environment.

In 2025, CCB continued to strengthen its long-term commitment to biodiversity at extraction sites: the depleted quarry of Gaurain, the active quarry of Clypot, and the future quarry of Barry. Following the conclusion of the “Life in Quarries” programme, CCB is still committed to the 15-year post-LIFE phase, maintaining the ecological measures introduced by the project and ensuring compliance with the derogations for protected species granted by the Belgian authorities.

Beyond any legal framework and requirement, and in line with this post-Life approach, another initiative for our future quarry in Barry, falls under the focus on biodiversity enhancement. The peripheral areas of quarry area have been identified as ideal for creating permanent ponds. These ponds can support many species of plants, amphibians, and dragonflies.

The annual reporting on biodiversity actions and monitoring indicators has continued steadily since 2022, reflecting a structured approach to habitat protection. In Barry, activities aimed at increasing the ecological value of peripheral areas continued. Permanent ponds and buffer zones, initiated in previous years, have continued to develop naturally, favouring species typical of wetlands and contributing to more resilient water management during heavy rainfall events.

At the end of 2024, a wall specifically designed for sand martins was constructed at the Clypot quarry, providing a safe and suitable environment for the endangered species to nest peacefully. Since the inception of the Life project, the quarry has made continuous efforts to protect these birds by creating a limestone sand embankment from overburden materials. Sand martins, which typically nest in embankments or sandy cliffs, face significant challenges as their nests become more fragile. Torrential rains often destabilize these natural habitats, leading to embankment collapses that threaten their reproduction. The project was made possible through close collaboration with the Parc Naturel Des Plaines de L’Escaut. The newly built "sand martin wall," which serves as a sanctuary for these birds, can now accommodate up to a hundred pairs, offering a secure environment for their reproduction.

At Clypot, conservation measures for the sand martin are a priority. The dedicated nesting wall, built in 2024, was continuously monitored in 2025 to ensure stable breeding conditions and mitigate erosion risks that have historically threatened natural embankments. The pond created at the foot of the structure has further improved the quality of the habitat to support the species.To address this, a detailed analysis was conducted to reinforce the embankment sustainably, ensuring it remains a critical component in the preservation of the species.

CCB’s initiatives remained fully aligned with the Group’s biodiversity strategies, which promote the integration of ecological aspects into quarry management, consistency with European and international biodiversity regulatory frameworks, and continuous improvement guided by the Group’s guidelines and TNFD-related workflows. These interventions consolidate CCB’s role as an actor committed to ecological protection and responsible redevelopment of the territory at its operating sites.