Cement, Energy and Environment

1 \ ' Philippe Fonta Managing Director Cement Sustainabi/ity Initiative (CSI) & Tire Industry Project (TIP), WBCSD Abstract The article seeks to provide an overview of the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI), a sector programme of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The Cement Sustainabi lity Initiative (CSI) is a global effort currently gathering 24 major cement producers with operations in more than 1 00 countries who believe there is a strong business case for the pursuit of sustainable development. Collectively these companies account for around 30% of the world's cement production and range in size from very large multinationals to · smaller local producers. Ten CSI members with operations in India, account for 60% of the cement production in the country. To date the CSI remains one of the largest global sustainability programs ever undertaken by a single industry sector. The global CSI work programme covers the key sustainability challenges faced by the industry in its complete value chain. The programme in India, focusses currently on two of the challenges, vis. safety and climate change. The working group on safety is tasked with improving contractor and logistics safety and undertakes various initiatives to address these issues. On the climate change front, the member companies in India are working on various low carbon strategies. CSI members in India are also exploring newer areas for collaborative action viz. biodiversity management, water management and emissions control. Introductio n: The Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI} is a global effort currently gathering 24 major cement producers with operations in more than 100 countries who believe there is a strong business case for the pursuit of sustainable development. Collectively these companies account for around 30% of the world's cement production and range in size from very large multinationals to smaller local producers. Ten CSI members with operations in India, account for 60% of the cement production in the country. These include three India headquartered companies, viz. Dalmia Cement, Shree Cement and UltraTech Cement, and seven global member companies with operations in India, viz. Ambuja Cement, ACC, CRH-My Home Industries, Lafarge, HeidelbergCement, Shree Digvijay Cement and Zuari Cement. All CSI members have integrated sustainable development into their business strategies and operations, as they seek strong financial performance with an equally strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility. The CSI is a voluntary CEO-led initiative of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The CSI partners with national and regional cement trade associations, to ensure a proper information sharing process at national, regional and international levels; the CSI also brings in the international perspective in supporting local partners to foster appropriate relationship with local, regional and national authorities and policy makers. In India, Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) is a Communication Partner of CSI. To date the CSI remains one of the largest global sustainability programs ever undertaken by a single industry sector. CSI work programme: The CSI global work programme focusses on the following areas: • Climate Protection; • Co-processing 1 • Health & safety"' • Emissions reduction 1 v • Waterv • Biodiversity & land stewardshipv' • Sustainability of concrete vii 21