UNICEM publishes its Manifesto

Local sourcing and logistics of materials

The Manifesto of the National Union of Quarrying and Construction Materials Industries sets a clear course: guarantee a local supply for construction sites. This logic responds to a major operational constraint: the transport of materials, particularly aggregates and ready-mix concrete, remains limited by technical distances.

In practice, the sector operates on short supply chains:

• approximately 50 km between the quarry and the consumption area,
• approximately 30 km between the concrete plant and the construction site.

This organization allows to controlling logistics costsbut also to limit the carbon footprint linked to transport. However, it implies a strong dependence on the local availability of deposits, subject to strict administrative authorizations (environmental code, classified installations ICPE).

A key regulatory constraint

The opening and operation of a quarry are subject to a demanding regulatory framework:

• environmental impact studies,
• public inquiries,
• control of state services.

This framework secures the implementation of the works, but lengthens development times, which constitutes an operational limitation to respond quickly to the needs of the territories.

Mineral materials and continuity of structures

The Manifesto reminds us that materials from quarries constitute a essential resource for construction: roads, networks, housing or public facilities.

"Without aggregates, without concrete, without ornamental rocks, there are no roads, no schools, no hospitals, no networks, no structural works."

In structural engineering operations, aggregates are directly incorporated into the composition of concrete, a key material for the stability and durability of structures. A project manager or structural engineering firm integrates this data from the design phase to guarantee the mechanical and thermal performance of the building envelope.

A massive import of materials is hardly conceivable:

• environmental impact of transport,
• economic dependence,
• loss of control over quality and traceability.

Production data and the circular economy

The mineral sector relies on significant volumes:

• 400 million tonnes of aggregates are consumed each year.
• including 100 million from recycling,
• 32 million m³ of ready-mix concrete produced.

These figures reflect a industrial activity rooted in the territorieswith a rise in the circular economy. Today, 92% of inert materials are recovered and concrete is 100% recyclable.

Example of a field application

On an urban renewal site, demolition materials can be reused as a road base layer. This practice reduces the need for extraction and optimizes the management of construction waste, in accordance with the objectives of the RE2020 regulations and the principles of the circular economy.

A sector that cannot be outsourced, serving the local communities

UNICEM insists on the nature non-relocatable of production. Quarries are often located in rural areas, where they play a structuring economic role:

• maintaining local employment,
• support for construction companies
• contribution to the activity of craftsmen and transporters.

At the end of their operational life, the sites can be repurposed:

• natural spaces,
• leisure centers,
• photovoltaic installations.

This adaptability is part of a logic of sustainable land management, integrated into urban planning documents (PLU, SCOT).

Territorial dialogue and project acceptability

The Manifesto highlights the need to strengthen dialogue with communities and stakeholders.

"A win-win partnership approach between the industry and local areas"

In some regions, this cooperation is already underway: in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 85% of the mayors concerned see quarries as an opportunity for their municipality.

The identified levers are based on:

• consultation prior to projects,
• transparency (site visits, open days),
• the integration of issues related to the circulation of materials.

This approach aims to improve the acceptability of the facilities while ensuring safe operating conditions.

A strategy structured around the environmental transition

The Manifesto also formalizes the sector's commitment around three key areas:

• securing supply,
• contribution to the local economy,
• environmental transition.

This commitment is reflected in particular by sectoral initiatives such as the CSR Label for Mineral Industries, which governs practices in the areas of environment, safety and social responsibility.

"A sector committed to a measurable and structured approach to progress"

A working basis for planning policies

By publishing this Manifesto, UNICEM offers a practical perspective on the challenges related to construction materials. The objective is to to move beyond general perceptions and return to concrete datauseful for territorial planning.

For local authorities, public project owners and building professionals, the question of supply becomes strategic: it conditions the ability to build, renovate and adapt territories to future needs.

Securing mineral resources thus appears as a lever for resilience, at the intersection of planning policies, environmental constraints and the economic realities of the sector.