HeidelbergCement has published its Sustainability Report for the 2019 financial year. The latest report covers a range of topics including the current status of emission reduction at the company and research on technologies that enable CO2 savings on a large scale.
“Sustainable business in harmony with the environment and the careful use of natural resources are an integral part of HeidelbergCement’s strategy,” said Dr. Dominik von Achten, chairman of the managing board of HeidelbergCement. “We have declared our express commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, we will continue to intensify our commitment to climate protection in the coming years.”
HeidelbergCement has set itself the goal of reducing its specific CO2 emissions per tonne of cement by 30% compared with 1990 levels. This goal has been recognized by the Science Based Targets initiative. By 2019, HeidelbergCement has already achieved a reduction of 22%. The company wants to realize its vision of a CO2-neutral concrete by 2050 at the latest. For its performance in the area of climate protection, HeidelbergCement was ranked on the “Climate Change A List,” achieving the top grade A in the CDP sustainability rating (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) in the reporting year.
Besides the topic of climate protection, the report documents the company’s activities regarding human rights and compliance as well as occupational health and safety. In 2019, targeted measures have been implemented in all group countries to optimize technical and organizational safety standards. Numerous training sessions increased the employees’ awareness for occupational safety.
Other key topics of the report are social responsibility and the intense exchange with different stakeholders in areas such as supply chain and supplier management, research and development, biodiversity as well as sustainable land use and water management: “We can only shape the future of our company through dialogue – with our employees, our neighbors, our customers, suppliers and shareholders,” said Dr. von Achten.
