Our 7 Priorities

We are constantly improving the sustainability of our products. We are continually working not only to reduce the environmental impact of our production process, but also to enhance the attributes of our building materials to advance the sustainability of the structures built with them

We promote and develop sustainable construction through several organizations and associations. For example, we chair the CSI task force on concrete sustainability, which identifies ways to maximize the sustainability attributes and benefits of concrete and related products.

We also participate in initiatives of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). For example, CEMEX is a Core Group member of the WBCSD Energy Efficiency in Buildings initiative. CEMEX further serves as co-chair of the WBCSD Urban Infrastructure Initiative (UII), which envisions "a world where cities provide a sustainable environment to live, work, and play."

As a global building materials company, the best way for us to contribute to the worldwide effort to eradicate poverty is to increase access to our building materials and services among disadvantaged groups. Our initiatives seek to promote affordable housing and better community infrastructure. Through such innovative programs as Patrimonio Hoy, we provide microfinance, training, equipment, technology, and our expertise to help low-income customers build homes, businesses, and stronger communities. To further the development of stronger communities, we partner with local governments and businesses to build long-lasting large scale infrastructure.

Climate change is considered one of the most critical global challenges of our time. Caused by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases—primarily CO2—in the atmosphere, climate change is widely understood to result from human activity. We acknowledge the local and global challenges posed by climate change, and are committed to applying our skills, technologies, and determination to reduce the contribution of our operations and our industry to climate change.

To provide context, the global cement industry produces approximately five percent of all man-made CO2 emissions—from the chemical reactions in clinker production to fuel consumption, electricity use, and the transportation of raw materials and finished products.

Therefore, our strategy to address climate change and to operate successfully in the coming low-carbon economy includes the responsible management and reduction of our operations' CO2 emissions by:

• Increasing the energy efficiency of our plants
• Including alternative cementitious raw materials in our cement production to reduce the clinker factor
• Using alternative fuels and renewable sources of energy
• Auditing and disclosing our CO2 emissions
• Exploring new technologies (for example, carbon capture and storage)
• Engaging in the sustainable transport of raw materials and distribution of our products

We are committed to mitigating the impacts that our plants, quarries, and logistics have on their surrounding communities. Toward this end, we have designed a set of global environmental initiatives to manage our impacts responsibly. Our main initiatives include monitoring and controlling air emissions; managing land and conserving biodiversity within and around sites; minimizing disturbances such as noise, vibration, and traffic; optimizing water use; and reducing and recycling waste.

The health, safety, and well-being of our people are of paramount importance to us and are critical to our ability to conduct our business. We provide industry-leading safety programs —such as driving safety and safety training for contractors and managers —to minimize workplace hazards and to raise awareness of safe and healthy living practices among our people and contractors, inside and outside the workplace.

We continually monitor our safety progress to ensure that our programs are working as effectively as possible. Our health management system enables us to monitor our global health performance indicators, develop a set of initiatives to improve our health conditions, and integrate best health practices.

By engaging in ongoing dialogue, we understand the needs and concerns of the communities in which we operate. We then leverage our core business strengths, including our institutional knowledge and experience, our employees’ talent and time, and our social investments, to support the social and economic development of those communities. Specifically, we contribute to disaster relief; promote employee volunteering; foster local environmental awareness; and support educational, cultural, and sports activities.

We continuously interact with a wide variety of stakeholders to discuss and address society’s most pressing needs. Within our sustainability framework, we have defined four core stakeholders groups: our people, our neighbors, our business partners, and our world. Beyond this, we actively engage with our global advisory panel, of sustainability experts, who provide important and valuable advice.