France: SaintGobain says that the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has approved its CO₂ reduction targets. The group plans to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions, both direct and indirect, along its entire value chain by 2050. This will entail a reduction in CO₂ emissions of at least 90% in the three scopes by 2050, with additional sequestration projects planned for residual emissions.

Saint-Gobain's commitments to reduce, in absolute terms, by 2030 from 2017 its direct and indirect CO₂ emissions (scopes 1 and 2) by 33% and its scope 3 emissions, mainly linked to purchasing and transport, by 16% by 2030 was already validated in 2020 by the SBTi. The group says it will continue to accelerate its roadmap, notably through improvements in energy efficiency, product weight reduction, increased recycled content and the use of green energies, in order to align its targets with the most demanding trajectory, which limits the rise in temperatures to 1.5°C.

US: Gypsum wallboard producers sold 1.32Bnm² of gypsum wallboard in the first half of 2022, a similar amount to that in the first half of 2021. Total supply of gypsum fell by 2% to 20.3Mt from 20.8Mt. This was due to decline in mined gypsum supplies, although imports rose and synthetic gypsum supply remained the same.

Exports of gypsum wallboard fell slightly year-on-year to 18.6Mm² throughout the second quarter of 2022, up by 10% year-on-year from 16.9Mm². Canada received 95% of US gypsum wallboard exports. The US imported 22.9Mm² of gypsum wallboard from eight countries. The figure corresponds to an increase of 10% year-on-year and 3% quarter-on-quarter. Mexico supplied 91% of US gypsum wallboard imports, followed by Canada with 8%.

Belgium: Etex’s revenue rose by 16% year-on-year to Euro1.79bn in the first half of 2022 from Euro1.46bn in the same period in 2021 on a like-for-like basis. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 20% to Euro319m from Euro266m.

Bernard Delvaux, the chief executive officer of Etex said, “In the first half of 2022, like many other industrial players, Etex had to cope with significant raw material and energy price inflation in the context of post-Covid-19 disruptions, volatility and the war between Russia and Ukraine. To face this situation, we had to implement a number of price increases. Our volumes and margins have been impacted, but these measures allowed us to achieve a positive evolution of both top line and bottom line.”

The company’s Building Performance division reported slightly lower gypsum wallboard sales volumes despite delivering a 16% increase in revenue to Euro1.23bn. The group also created an Insulation division in May 2022 following the completion of its acquisition of URSA.

China: BNBM’s operating revenue grew by 2.4% year-on-year to US$1.50bn in the first half of 2022 from US$1.46bn in the same period in 2021. Its net profit fell by 11% to US$237m from US$266m. Parent company CNBM reported that its sales volumes of gypsum wallboard fell by 5.8% to 1.09Bnm² from 1.16Bnm2. It said that continued coronavirus lockdowns and problems in the real estate market had affected market demand. It added that the price of raw materials and energy had also risen, leading to increased production costs and mounting product prices.