Cementos Argos was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the fourth consecutive year, this time as an industry leader: Construction Materials, with results that support its leadership in social, environmental and economic issues. Each year about 2,500 global companies, listed on the stock exchange, belonging to about 59 economic sectors, are invited to participate.
Through applied responsible practices, Argos has managed to stand out among a select group of companies with the best sustainability performance worldwide after attaining the highest rating in the industry. Argos obtained the best score among the following variables: biodiversity, operational eco-efficiency, water-related risks, social reporting, labor practice indicators and human rights, tax strategy, corporate citizenship and philanthropy, human talent development, and talent attraction and retention.
“The permanence in this index confirms our business model, in which we start with sustainability and innovation as pillars of the strategy to create value for our customers, shareholders, communities, employees, and other stakeholders,” said Juan Esteban Calle, CEO of Cementos Argos. “We are convinced that working on sustainability is investing in the generation of development, opportunities and competitiveness in all countries where we operated, by means of solutions, services and products that help transform and improve the quality of life of millions of people.”
In addition to being included in the Global Index, Cementos Argos was recognized in Emerging Markets for the fourth consecutive year. Notably, the DJSI has been positioning itself as an increasingly relevant benchmark to the investment community, as companies belonging to it must possess business strategies based on sustainability.
Among the recent actions taken by Argos and those which contribute to the environmental, social and economic criteria taken into account for the evaluation are:
- Alternative fuels. Through innovation, Argos built an efficient and inclusive energy model in which the use of alternative fuels is essential. By co-processing, the company’s three regions advanced in 2015 in replacing coal and other fossil fuels such as carbon by 6.1 percent for alternative fuels such as tires, plastics and other unconventional products.
- I Promise program. Improvements in health and safety at work that aims to establish a culture of self-care in which health and safety conditions for all employees are promoted. This program has contributed significantly to the reduction of incidents, which has also been extended to other interest groups such as contractors, suppliers and in general, to the entire value chain. Currently, 100 percent of the incidents are investigated and action and monitoring plans are established. At the end of 2015, a 47.5 percent reduction in the global frequency index was achieved.
- Supplier management. Implementing a sustainability index for suppliers, developed in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to understand and learn the sustainability risk associated with them and develop action plans that will assist them in improving their management.
