Holcim's announcement today that its planned new giant cement factory in Weston will be worth $13 million in jobs ignores the negative impacts the plant will have on the community and on climate change, the Green Party says. "It's just not jobs downstream that matter, but the pollution downstream too," Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei says. "This plant would impact on Weston School, Oamaru township and the environment in general. Cement factories of this size emit a variety of pollutants, including CO2, mercury and other heavy metals. This one factory could emit up to 800,000 tonnes of CO2 each year in addition to the mercury, dioxins and sulphur dioxide from the manufacturing process. "Our economy is absolutely dependent on the health of our environment. The degradation that this factory will cause will amount to far more than $13 million in the long term. And any projections of benefits to the economy are just that: predictions and promises. There is absolutely no certainty of the potential gains, especially as the cement is to be sold overseas and the profits of the company directed offshore. Planning decisions must not be based on short term promises but on the environmental and economic sustainability of the community as a whole. "Given the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change it would be ridiculous to allow Holcim to set up this plant," Mrs Turei says.