Sustainability strategy
Long-term corporate success requires responsible dealings with customers, business partners, employees and our locations. Sustainability is therefore a pillar of our corporate strategy.
Areas of activity for sustainability
Responsible, sustainably oriented action is the basis of our business culture. We are successful when we operate efficiently, consider the environmental impact of our actions, have satisfied customers and offer our employees attractive opportunities for development. As our business is largely determined by the development on local markets, sustainability also includes accepting social responsibility at our locations. We harmonise our sustainability activities with our corporate profile: We consider the effects of our activities and, by doing so, we reduce the risks for our business. Energy conservation and climate protection, occupational health and safety, and the protection of biological diversity are therefore the focal points of our sustainability programme. We use our core competences so that they bring added value for society and create commercial opportunities for us.
Energy and climate protection
The supply of energy and climate change are key challenges of our time. With global demand for energy increasing, most scientists believe that climate change is also accelerating. As an energy-intensive industry, we want to counteract this projected development. In order to fulfil our voluntary commitment to reducing CO2 emissions, we strive to maximise the efficiency of our production facilities and replace primary raw materials and fuels with alternatives. For HeidelbergCement, energy efficiency is about safeguarding our future viability.
Biodiversity
When we extract raw materials, we encroach upon nature. The natural resources we require in order to manufacture our building materials form the basis of the Group. Conserving these resources secures the foundation for HeidelbergCement's existence, as well as that of future generations, in the long term. In order to counteract the decline in species diversity, we adopt a strategically focused and comprehensive approach to preserving habitats for animals and plants.
Occupational health and safety
As an employer, our primary duty is to protect the health of our employees in the quarries and plants. Our aspiration is to establish high standards at all locations worldwide. Unfortunately, accidents – including fatal ones – occur time and again despite these measures. We want to change that. Therefore, occupational safety has the highest priority in our sustainability strategy. Our goal is clear: to achieve "zero accidents".