The economic benefit that the cement production plants generate to the local communities where they are located amounts, only in the fiscal scope, to more than 2 million euros of annual average, according to the II Study on CSR in the cement sector, elaborated by Forética and Fundación CEMA. The study highlights the commitment to rural areas and low population density, since 70% of Spanish factories are located in towns with less than 12,000 inhabitants, where they create stable employment, with 94% of contracts indefinite, and average annual gross salaries that double the average remuneration.
The rise of CSR policies in the sector is reflected in the leap given by companies in the last two years towards an even greater commitment. Thus, while in 2014 (the date of the first study), 56% of companies had a formalized CSR policy, this figure has risen to 78% in the update of the study. The same happens with the integration of the CSR function in the organizational chart that has gone from 60 to 89%. In addition, all companies are certified in the environment, most of them in safety and health, and 100% have quality management systems.
Occupational health and safety also occupy a prominent place in the conclusions of the report, which indicate that the average investment in this area by each company exceeds one million euros per year, which is equivalent to 1,500 euros per employee per year and is an increase of 5% compared to the previous study. The data corroborates this commitment on the part of the cement industry since the number of accidents with loss is 4 times lower than in the industry in general and half that in the service sector.
On the other hand, investment in environmental projects means, on average, a disbursement by each company of 3 million euros per year, 14% of which are specifically earmarked for biodiversity projects. The work carried out by the cement industry in reducing the exploitation of natural resources stands out, as 4.5% of the raw materials used to manufacture cement came from industrial waste or by-products, which has made it possible to avoid the exploitation of natural resources in a quarry type for almost 2 years. The use of recovered fuels represented 25% of the energy consumed by the clinker kilns, which avoided the use of fossil fuels.
With regard to the areas of improvement, the study is committed to the need to promote the incorporation of women in an excessively masculinized sector and improve the visibility of the cement industry as a leading actor in CSR, improving non-financial communication and formalizing more the relationship with the interest groups, with special emphasis on the management of their expectations.