Cairo witnessed the launch of the ECOBuild Forum, organised by Lafarge Egypt, a member of Holcim Group and a leading provider of innovative and sustainable building materials.
The forum represents a strategic step towards accelerating the transition to low-carbon construction and supporting the objectives of Egypt Vision 2030.
This forum served as a high-level dialogue platform bringing together decision-makers, leaders from the real estate and construction materials sectors, academic experts, and investors to explore practical pathways for translating environmental ambitions into actionable solutions.
This comes at a time when Egypt is experiencing rapid urban expansion and growing demand for projects capable of balancing economic efficiency with reduced emissions.
The first panel discussion, titled “The Future of Sustainable Building Materials,” brought together a distinguished group of experts including Alfonso Paradinas, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Holcim Group; Tarek El-Gamal, Chairman of Redcon Construction; Tamer Nasser, CEO of City Edge Developments; Prof. Hossam El-Karmoty, Professor of Building Materials Technology and Chairman of GPC Engineering Consultants; and Ayman Salah, Founder and CEO of Chapter Zero Egypt.
The session explored global developments in low-carbon building materials, the readiness of the Egyptian
market to adopt these solutions, and the mechanisms required to balance sustainability with economic feasibility in order to enable large-scale implementation.
The discussion also addressed global developments in sustainable construction
and Holcim Group’s NextGen Growth 2030 Strategy, which represents a structural shift in the company’s business model.
The strategy aims to achieve a balance between building materials and integrated solutions, transitioning from traditional product offerings to delivering comprehensive low-carbon building
systems across the entire value chain.
Participants emphasised that the successful adoption of sustainable building materials depends on the clarity of technical specifications, the availability of reliable certification frameworks, and the confidence of financial institutions in assessing long-term risks.
At the same time, it requires maintaining careful balance between compliance with environmental standards, commercial viability, and customer affordability.
The discussion also highlighted the challenges associated with expanding the use of low-clinker cements in Egypt, emphasising the importance of developing local standards and strengthening technical support.
These factors are essential to enhancing market confidence and accelerating the adoption of sustainable building materials.
The session underscored that sustainable construction is increasingly becoming a matter of governance, risk management, and financial sustainability rather than merely an environmental commitment, particularly in light of anticipated carbon emissions regulations and their potential impact on the competitiveness of companies both locally and globally.
The second session, titled “Recycling Construction and Demolition Waste as a Gateway to the Circular Economy,” featured Moumita Chakraborty, Regional Head of Sustainability and Geocycle at Holcim Group; Prof. Mohamed Abou-Zeid, Professor of Construction Engineering at the American University in Cairo; and Prof. Salah El-Haggar, Professor of Engineering at the American University in Cairo and Chairman of the Egyptian Green Building Council.
The session focused on transforming waste-related challenges into productive opportunities while presenting practical models and regulatory frameworks required to expand the use of recycled materials in major projects.
The discussion also highlighted the ECOCycle concept as an integrated model for reintegrating construction and demolition waste into production value chains, alongside successful case studies that have contributed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and minimising reliance on landfills while maintaining performance and quality standards.
The session also addressed the technical testing protocols required for the certification of recycled materials, as well as the challenges related to usage limits and the role of regulators and market stakeholders in ensuring compliance with quality standards.
Participants emphasised that scaling up the use of recycled materials requires accurate data and clear regulatory frameworks that support their adoption in national and large-scale investment projects.
The forum was hosted by H.E. Ambassador Dr Andreas Baum, Ambassador of Switzerland to the Arab Republic of Egypt, at the Swiss Residence.
The event was attended by global leadership from Holcim Group, CEOs of leading real estate development companies, and a distinguished group of architects and consultants.
In this context, H.E. Ambassador Dr Andreas Baum commented: “This dialogue reflects the depth of the strategic partnership between Egypt and Switzerland and reaffirms our shared commitment
to advancing sustainable construction. Close co-operation between governments
and the private sector, supported by international best practices, is essential to developing cities that are efficient, resilient, and capable of addressing long-term environmental and economic challenges.”
Khaled El-Dokani, Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge Egypt, a member of Holcim Group, stated: “ECOBuild represents a pivotal initiative for strengthening collaboration across Egypt’s entire construction ecosystem.
At Lafarge Egypt, supported by the global expertise of Holcim Group, we are committed to leading the transition towards low-carbon building solutions that advance the objectives of Egypt Vision 2030 without compromising structural performance or economic viability.
The challenge today is not only to develop more sustainable products but also to enable their adoption at scale.”
The event also featured a presentation by Antonio Carrillo, Vice President of Sustainability at Holcim Group, who highlighted the group’s global commitments to reducing carbon emissions,developing innovative technologies, and launching the Holcim Sustainable Construction Academy.
The academy provides free training programmes designed to build capacity and strengthen specialised knowledge in low-carbon construction.
In his closing remarks, Adham El-Mahdy, Sustainability Director of Lafarge Egypt and General Manager of Geocycle Egypt, said: “The ECOBuild platform was established to move sustainability from discussion to practical implementation.
Egypt today stands at a turning point where sustainability is no longer optional, particularly given the rapid growth of the real estate sector.
Sustainable solutions will not achieve widespread adoption unless they match or outperform conventional materials in terms of performance, cost, and reliability.
Achieving this requires clear leadership, supportive regulatory frameworks, and strong partnerships capable of delivering tangible impact on the ground.”
This initiative reflects Lafarge Egypt’s leading role in bringing global best practices to the local market and embedding sustainability at the core of its operational strategy.
Through its environmentally friendly cement and ready-mix concrete products, ECOPlanet and ECOPact, which offer up to 50% lower carbon footprints, the company has successfully transformed more than 98% of its product portfolio into green
cement.
Lafarge Egypt also plays a leading role in advancing the circular economy, having replaced more than 30% of its fossil fuel consumption with environmentally friendly alternative fuels, while
safely managing more than 500,000 tonnes of waste in 2025.
