Étalans,
France
Why is this important?
The building sector generates 23% of GHG emissions in France, making it a major source of emissions. The embodied phase of a building's life cycle, which can account for 15-40% of its total GHG emissions over a lifespan of 50-60 years, is a significant contributor. Cement production alone generates around 2.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, representing about 8% of the global total. Hempcrete comprises less than 1% of the concrete market despite its 80% lower impact because of the high cost compared to conventional materials. Reducing the reliance on cement and other high-emission materials is crucial for decreasing the overall carbon footprint of the construction industry.
Why does this project need financial support?
Thanks to carbon credits, Vieille Matériaux aims to scale production by 2 times within 5 years. Vieille Matériaux faces competition from more common and affordable construction materials, limiting its market attractiveness and sales. Without additional revenue from carbon credit sales, Vieille Matériaux would need to raise prices, risking further unaffordability and reducing its competitiveness. The production cost of Biosys and Multichanvre is considerably higher than conventional materials, making it difficult to compete in the market. Revenue from carbon credits is essential to offset these production costs, lower expenses, and make these sustainable materials more attractive to customers. This financial support will help Vieille Matériaux compete more effectively in the construction and insulation markets, promoting the use of sustainable building materials and contributing to environmental goals.
What is unique with this project?
Vieille Matériaux's hempcrete blocks have several excellent qualities for fighting climate change: - Producing hempcrete blocks avoids GHG emissions compared to traditional concrete blocks. - They facilitate long-term atmospheric CO2 storage, crucial for achieving the EU's climate change mitigation goals. - These materials also involve fewer pollutants and require lower energy inputs during manufacturing compared to conventional solutions.