April 19th 2024.
Climate change is a complex issue with numerous factors contributing to its devastating effects. One of these factors is the use of cement in construction projects. This is why former NBA champion, Rick Fox, has thrown his full support behind his green concrete startup, Partanna Global Inc.
When he's not busy with his acting career, serving as an executive in the world of E-sports, or representing the Bahamas as an Ambassador at Large, Fox has been dedicating his time and energy to his Bahamas-based concrete company. According to Bloomberg, Partanna Global's team is working diligently to replace traditional cement with a unique blend of blast-furnace slag from steel-making and other materials such as volcanic ash. To further reduce its carbon footprint, the company uses brine, a fluid waste made from plants or crushed rocks, to absorb carbon dioxide. Unlike regular cement production, Partanna's process eliminates the burning of fossil fuels and other harmful emissions from cooking limestone.
With the production of cement being responsible for about 6% of all carbon dioxide emissions, Partanna is just one of many companies competing to revolutionize the global concrete industry, which is estimated to reach a value of $1 trillion by 2030. "We have a formula that is going to change the world for the better," Fox proudly stated. "That's our focus, that's our star."
Fox's introduction to the concept of "concrete that breathes like a tree" came from his Hollywood publicist and talent manager. "I was initially skeptical," Fox admits. "I mean, how can concrete act like a tree?" His daily walks along Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, where he often saw trees struggling to grow through the concrete sidewalks, made it even harder for him to understand the idea.
After a period of experimentation, trial and error, and extensive research, Partanna Global was officially launched in 2021. The startup's future plans include building 29 more houses in the Bahamas and expanding to larger projects outside of the Caribbean country.
Fox's goal is to change the mindset of construction companies who are delaying their transition to green practices until 2050. "We don't have that luxury of time," he stated in a January interview with Wired. "If you think you can wait until 2050 to become sustainable, then you're not feeling the pressure." He emphasized that countries in the Caribbean, including the Bahamas, are already feeling the impact of climate change and cannot afford to wait until 2050 to take action. "The beach I grew up on in the Bahamas is no longer a beach," Fox sadly pointed out.
Through his company, Partanna Global, Fox is determined to make a positive impact on the environment and inspire others to do the same. His passion for creating a more sustainable future for generations to come is evident in every aspect of his work.
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