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Cement is an essential building material, yet producing it is an energy and resource-intensive process. As a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, we were one of 10 leading cement companies to participate in the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI), a project that explored ways for our industry to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
In July 2002, the 10 companies involved in the CSI developed an Agenda for Action to:
- Prepare for a more sustainable future by making more efficient use of natural resources and energy and engaging with local issues in emerging markets
- Meet the expectations of stakeholders and maintain their "license to operate" in communities across the world through greater transparency of operations, effective engagement with society, and initiating actions which lead to sustained positive changes
- Individually understand and build new market opportunities through process innovations which achieve greater resource/energy efficiency and long-term cost savings; product and service innovations to reduce environmental impacts; and work with other industries on novel uses of by-product and waste materials in cement production
Together, the companies identified six key areas where the CSI can make a significant contribution to achieving a more sustainable society:
- Climate protection
- Fuels and raw materials
- Employee health and safety
- Emissions reduction
- Local impacts
- Internal business processes
These areas form the basis of the Agenda for Action, which sets out the work program for the CSI over the next several years. The sixth area addresses internal business processes that run through the other five areas-effective management systems, stakeholder engagement, and reporting.
The CSI is an open process, and we invite other cement companies to join us. Download the agenda at: http://www.wbcsdcement.org/agenda.asp.
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