The growing incidence of water scarcity, combined with a worldwide decline in critical minerals, adds to the environmental challenges. Sika is focusing on sustainable innovations to preserve our limited resources.
Key Facts and Figures
The construction industry consumes half of the global steel production and more than 3 billion tons of raw materials annually.1
Water: Over 2 billion people live in water-stressed areas. By 2050, 5.7 billion may be affected in developing countries, where admixtures penetration is low. Water is crucial for mixing and curing concrete.2 By 2050, 75% of concrete demand is projected to be in water-stressed regions.
Sand is earth's second most consumed resource after freshwater. Annually, ~50 billion tons of sand are extracted, greatly exceeding natural renewal rates.3
Only 20-30% of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is recycled, leading to further scarcity of resources. In contrast, the Netherlands recycle up to 90%.4 CDW accounts for more than a third of all waste in the EU.5
Annual Baseline Water Stress
Ratio of total water withdrawals to available renewable water supplies4
China Uses Half of the Global Cement
Top 10 countries in cement consumption, 20226
Impact on Sika
- Sika must broaden its range of strategic and tactical measures to reduce risks and seize potential opportunities.
- Resources scarcity and rising regulations foster a fertile market for sustainable solutions. The global demand for cement and concrete additives is forecasted to grow 4.9% annually to USD 23.0 billion by 2026.7 The green cement market was valued at USD 20.5 billion in 2019.
- For the industry to thrive, building solutions must use recycled materials, consume less energy and reduce the environmental impact.
Sika Solutions
The whole range of Sika® ViscoCrete products, such as:
- Sika® ViscoCrete 4027 is recommended whenever there is a lower clinker content within the Portland cement.
- Sika® ViscoCrete 3095 N and Sika® ViscoCrete 3096 N are admixtures beneficial if the sourced aggregates are recycled.