During 2013, Cemex worked to conceptualize and develop new products and solutions to promote efficient construction practices, preserve natural resources, lower the carbon footprint of its projects throughout their lifecycle, improve job site safety and foster a strong relationship with its communities and stakeholders.
“This year’s report responds to one of the most significant and relevant sustainability trends facing the world today – the increasing challenge of urbanization. As the global population expands the promise of jobs and prosperity increasingly draws people to an urban environment,” said Fernando A. Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer of Cemex. “As a global building materials and solutions company, we are uniquely positioned to help address construction and environmental challenges associated with urbanization.”
Some highlights from the report:
- Completed 368 infrastructure projects representing almost 7.5 million m2 of concrete pavement for highways, mass transit projects, airport runways and city streets in 15 countries.
- Completed 2 new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines in the Mexican cities of Puebla and Monterrey, bringing the total lines supplied by Cemex up to eleven. The Puebla line is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 26,000 tons and save up to 35 minutes in commuting. “Ecovia” Monterrey is expected to decrease commuting time by up to 50% and reduce private car use between 15 to 20 percent in the medium term.
- Its housing solutions offer now includes industrialized, disaster relief, energy efficient, vertical and affordable housing. Cemex built 7,513 houses in 2013 (from 2,942 in 2012) and is now executing projects in 19 countries (from 9 in 2012).
- More than 2.3 million individuals have benefited from Cemex self-construction programs including Patrimonio Hoy, ConstruApoyo and Productive Centers of Self-Employment since the programs started in 1998.
- In 2013, Cemex further transformed agricultural, industrial and municipal waste into fuel for cement kilns, achieving a 28.4 percent alternative fuel substitution rate, the highest among its top competitors.
- Overall, the company’s total low-carbon initiatives resulted in the avoidance of more than 7 million tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere during 2013, equivalent to the emissions made by 1.3 million cars in one year.
- Cemex invited 80 percent of its global suppliers to have their corporate social responsibility performance evaluated by a third-party as part of its efforts to continuously evaluate its supply chain in all countries in which the company operates.
The report includes an external limited assurance statement by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the eighth consecutive year, as well as a statement from the company’s Sustainability Reporting Advisory Panel.
If you want to know more about Cemex’s sustainability strategy and efforts, please review Cemex’s 2013 Sustainable Development Report, which achieved a GRI-checked application level of A+ for the sixth consecutive year and is available online at the website.
In order to facilitate analysts’ access to all the relevant documents, Cemex included a special section on its website called ESG Analyst and SRI Center. The section provides direct links to key information such as SDR, GRI Index, UNGC COP, policies, position papers and more.
Cemex is a global building materials company that provides high-quality products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than 50 countries.
Cemex has a rich history of improving the well-being of those it serves through innovative building solutions, efficiency advancements, and efforts to promote a sustainable future.
