Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) aims to explore what sustainable development actually means for the cement industry, identify and facilitate actions that cement companies, both as a group and individually, can take in moving towards sustainable development within the industry.

CSI brings together ten of the world’s leading cement companies [Cemex (Mexico), Cimpor (Portugal), HeidelbergCement (Germany), Holcim (Switzerland), Italcementi (Italy), Lafarge (France), RMC (United Kingdom), Siam Cement (Thailand), Taiheiyo (Japan) and Votorantim (Brazil)] and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. A key component of the initiative is the active engagement of the cement industry as a whole, and its stakeholders, on relevant issues of sustainable development.

In July 2002, following a three-year program of research and stakeholder consultation, the leaders of the ten companies launched a five-year Agenda for Action for sustainable development. The agenda was a series of joint projects and individual actions that the companies would carry out in six key areas:

• Climate protection
• Fuels and raw materials
• Employee health and safety
• Emissions reduction
• Local impacts
• Business processes

The joint projects involve several companies working together to tackle a specific issue, often in conjunction with stakeholders. The individual actions are to be implemented by companies independently within their own operations. CSI is to report on progress every five years. The first full report, and a new Agenda for Action for the next five years, will be published in 2007. An interim report is due in 2005.

For further information on the Cement Sustainability Initiative and details of progress, please check the following website: www.wbcsdcement.org

ECC played a key role in the CSI’s stakeholder dialogue in Cairo.

By hosting the Egypt dialogue and inviting stakeholder representatives, including NGOs and community health organizations, the team at ECC gained first-hand experience of stakeholders’ sense of alienation and disempowerment.

This has led to a greater sense of awareness of the issues that concern key stakeholder groups, and constructive discussion with several of the participants has continued since the event.