Cemex has released its 2013 Sustainable Development Report, which shows significant progress in major priority areas that align with the challenges of increasing urban populations.
During 2013, the company 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 sq. m of concrete pavement for highways, mass transit projects, airport runways and city streets in 15 countries.
- Completed two new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines in the cities of Puebla and Monterrey, Mexico, 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 percent and reduce private car use between 15 to 20 percent in the medium term.
- Its housing solutions 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 nine in 2012).
- 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. The 2013 Sustainable Development Report also achieved a GRI-checked application level of A+ for the sixth consecutive year. The report is available online.
