Commitment to Circular Economy
Year 2018 has been, for the cement industry in Catalonia, the year to consolidate the Circular Economy principles. Although it has been more than a decade since our factories use waste, both to substitute and reduce fossil fuel as well as to add them to raw materials and therefore avoid natural resource consumption, this strategy has now been definitly institutionaized with the incorporation of our Association, as a founding entitiy, in the Catalunya Circular, the circular economy observatory, launched by the Generalitat in May 2018.
Cement industry is committed to streamlining resource cycles (materials, water and energy) and to maximize the use and value of products, components and materials. We oppose to the linear economic model of extracting, manufacturing, use and dispose, and we advocate prevention of waste generation, reuse, remanufactureand recycling of existing materials and products. We are committed to the green economy, undestrood as a broader model that intergrates social dimension and ecosystems conservation; an economy that improves human well-being and social equity, and that reduces environmental risks.
Also in this line, the Agreement with Infraestructures.cat (the public company in charge of projecting,constructing, conserving, and operating the infrastructures and buildings of the Generalitat) states that, in public tendering will be increasingly more important to give less weight to the economic bidto include, in return, social and environmental criteria. The ultimate goal is to limit economic loss and prioritize quality and durability. The social contribution and environmental impact minimization that will be achieved using thesecriteria, will also allow that construction of roads, railways, treatment plants, ports and water supply networks, reach higher quality and lifetime.
Nevertheless, 2018 also had aless favorable profile for the sector, especially regarding its economic situation: the year ended with a slight drop in cement consumption in Catalonia (-1%), a significan decrease in production (-10%) and an even more significant loss in exports (-22%). This market situation broke the 3 year streak of growth (2015 to 2017) and is largely a consequence of the political climate in the country. Public administrarions keep tendering to a minimum, with just1.671 M € in2018, 78% less than the previous decade.
Independently form our environmental actions and our market situation, 2018 was also the year of the development of the III Voluntary Agreement for resource use efficiency, that has already achieved almost all the objectives set by 2020.
We have also been progressing in the training offer destined to minimize occupationalrisks associated to cement manufacturing, which has made our industry, one of the safest, accident rates far below those of service companies. Our professional staff is one of the best assets we have.
Lastly, our factories have continued to implement community and surrounding policies, based on both permantent dialog and transparency, as well as employment support, local development or sponsorship of socialand cultural activities.
To explain our situation with more detail, in this report, we gather what we have donehroughout the year and our evolution. A vision of who we are and what we have done, always with a commitment to serve the community, and to continue to improve our product, cement, which is the most used building material on the planet, and an essential element of modern and developed societies.
