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Corporate Environment Responsibility

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Corporate Environmental Responsibility: An investigation into the performance of CEMEX Environmental protection is currently one of the most pressing social issues; it features on the agenda of many different groups within society, including governments, special interest groups and global organisations. The actions of organisations with regard to the environment are becoming a large factor in their total profit and propensity for future growth. CEMEX is the third largest company in global cement and aggregate production; and the world’s leading supplier of ready-mix cement. Their annual production levels of cement and aggregate are approximately 55 million cubic metres and 160 million tonnes respectively. They have operations spanning …show more content…

Total energy consumption has been reduced through the use of new technology, such as renewable sources, like wind turbines (CEMEX 2012). In 2000, CEMEX reduced electrical consumption by 160,000 megawatts, which, with the combination of alternative fuels; reduced CO2 emissions by 263,000 tonnes (Wilson, Chang 2003). CEMEX is now actively committed to reducing carbon emissions in order to achieve environmental sustainability, “We acknowledge the local and global challenges posed by climate change, and are committed to applying our skills, technologies, and determination to reduce the contribution of our operations and our industry to climate change” (CEMEX 2012). This commitment helps to satisfy the demand from society and stakeholders to reduce carbon emissions. The efforts of CEMEX are commendable and will certainly help with the overall reduction of CO2; however it is questionable whether or not the burning of alternative fuels is a sustainable solution. The European Commission and UN Intergovernmental Panel on climate change claim state that only biomass fuels such as wood or sewage sludge should be considered carbon neutral, and that the burning of tyres and household waste may be worse than fossil fuels (ENDS Report 2008). This indicates that by burning alternative wastes such as tyres and household waste, CEMEX is still contributing to the overall CO2 levels in the atmosphere, and may in fact be doing more

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