Committed to Sustainability

Reducing the Impacts of our Operations

“Canada’s cement manufacturing industry is committed to reducing the impacts of its operations while maintaining and improving its contributions to a competitive economy and a sustainable society.”
Pierre Boucher, President and CEO, Cement Association of Canada

Cement is an essential building material that is vital to economic growth. It is the key ingredient in making concrete – the sustainable construction material that touches every aspect of our daily lives.
Canada’s cement industry recognizes that its operations have environmental impacts and strives towards continual improvement in our manufacturing processes to reduce those impacts. Our industry has a long-standing history of responding to environmental challenges by developing and implementing innovative technologies and processes.

Global Cement Sustainability Initiative Agenda for Action

In 2002, Canada’s cement manufacturers and other leading global cement companies came together under the auspices of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development to establish the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI).  The mandate of the CSI is to develop and implement an Agenda for Action through which the global cement industry can address the following challenges of sustainable development:

• Climate protection and CO₂ management
• Responsible use of energy and materials
• Employee health and safety
• Emissions monitoring and reporting
• Local impacts on land and communities

In 2006, the Canadian cement industry reported publicly on its implementation of the CSI. The 2008 Canadian Cement Industry Sustainability Report provides an update on our progress in implementing the CSI Agenda for Action, reporting gains achieved in all areas .