SUSTAINABILITY AMBITIONS 2020

Lafarge has entered a new phase in its sustainability commitment with the launch today of SUSTAINABILITY AMBITIONS 2020. The 34 new sustainability ambitions are organized around the three main pillars of sustainable development - social, economic and environmental - and they are coupled with demanding quantitative targets.


Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bruno Lafont comments:

 "SUSTAINABILITY AMBITIONS 2020 is the continuation of our 2007-12 programme, at the end of which we had achieved our key commitment of reducing net CO₂ emissions per ton of cement produced by 20%. I firmly believe that a green economy cannot happen without a green industry, and there is no sustainability without a responsible industry, aware of its social contribution and steering its own change. With this programme, which comprises 34 new ambitions, we are looking to create value for all of our stakeholders - shareholders, customers, employees and local communities in the vicinity of our production plants. These ambitions define our commitments for the future and our contribution to a sustainable society."

Lafarge's 34 ambitions include nine major ambitions to be achieved by 2020:

1.      reduce by 33% our CO₂ emissions per ton of cement compared to 1990 levels
2.      use 50% of non-fossil fuels in our cement plants by 2020 (including 30% biomass)
3.      have 20% of our concrete containing reused and recycled materials
4.      reach zero fatalities and virtually eliminate lost-time incidents for our employees and contractors
5.      having 35% of senior management positions held by women
6.      contribute 1 million volunteer hours per year to locally selected projects
7.      having 75% of our country operations implementing a plan for local job creation
8.      enable access to affordable and sustainable housing for 2 million people
9.      generate sales of €3 billion a year in new sustainable solutions, products and services


These ambitions are the result of an extensive collaborative approach. Over 18 months, Lafarge has involved employees and managers of operating units, the panel of stakeholders, major partners such as WWF and CARE and our International Advisory Board, asking them both what they expected of their company and what contribution Lafarge could make to society.


Sustainable development: a long-standing and lasting commitment

For many years, Lafarge has been working to set an example of leadership in business sustainability in terms of protecting the environment, social responsibility and corporate governance.
In 2000, Lafarge was the first manufacturer in the construction materials sector to publicly set targets for reducing CO₂ emissions. In 2001, it was one of the first CAC 40 companies to publish a comprehensive report on its sustainable development efforts and to form fundamental partnerships with organisations like WWF and CARE. Since 2007, the Group has implemented a sustainability Ambitions programme that sets out its priorities and measurable commitments.

 
Appendix :
Lafarge's 34 sustainability ambitions
 

General information
Located in 64 countries with 68,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete businesses. In 2011, Lafarge posted sales of €15.3 billion.
For the second year in a row, Lafarge ranked amongst the top 10 of 500 companies evaluated by the "Carbon Disclosure Project" in recognition of their strategy and actions against global warming. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.