Clay burnt bricks require wood to produce, contributing to deforestation across Africa and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In an effort to make the production of bricks more sustainable, the world’s largest cement producer LafargeHolcim, which is headquartered in Rapperswil-Jona in the canton of St.Gallen, produces Durabric.

Described as an environmentally friendly and affordable alternative to traditional clay burnt bricks, Durabric bricks are produced from a mixture of earth and cement, which is compressed into a mould and left to cure naturally without firing. According to a company statement, this process reduces greenhouse gas emissions tenfold compared to traditional fired bricks. Durabric is already being used in Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia.

To accelerate the production and commercialisation of Durabric in additional countries, LafargeHolcim has joined forces with the UK’s development finance institution CDC to launch a joint venture called 14Trees – named after the process, which saves up to 14 trees per house on average. The two partners are jointly investing CHF 10 million and intend to further finance the joint venture’s future growth.

“By combining CDC’s investment expertise with our technical skills and local knowledge, we will be able to scale-up the roll-out of Durabric more rapidly and in more countries,” said Gérard Kuperfarb, a member of LafargeHolcim’s Executive Committee in charge of growth and innovation.