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 Italcementi Group has a clear sustainable vision that begins with the commitment made and continuously reinforced by the Chief Executive Officer. My duty is to ensure the full operational deployment of the Group’s commitment and values into daily practices. Upholding sustainability when facing such a deep worldwide crisis, which requires tight control on expenses, limits on investment and signifi cant restructuring of the Group’s assets, requires more than ever high operational efficiency, from top executives down to production sites.
This efficiency can be achieved through improved governance and the reinforced, visible leadership of the management team, drawing maximum attention to behavioural and organisational leverage.
The Group’s Sustainable Development Steering Committee, under my chairmanship, develops policies and guidelines, and sets targets and objectives. At subsidiary level, the Managing Directors fully endorse their duty as promoters of the implementation of these policies and guidelines, through chairing the local Sustainable Development Steering Committees. Group Standards, setting minimum requirements to be applied everywhere and filling gaps in local regulatory frameworks, help management to establish practicable action plans. Italcementi Group’s values and priorities have not changed.
In 2008, Italcementi Group signed a fundamental charter of workers’ rights with Building and Wood Workers’ International, guaranteeing observance of fundamental human and union rights and making this a tangible, daily commitment for all subsidiaries. The charter covers freedom of association, collective bargaining, rejection of forced labour and child labour, nondiscrimination in the workplace, payment of salaries that guarantee subsistence, reasonable working hours, health and safety in the workplace, employee welfare, training and employment agreements. The themes of the charter refl ect Italcementi Group’s commitment to promoting human rights and sustainable labour practices within its sphere of influence.
Excellence in safety performance has been the fi rst permanent objective set by the Group towards sustainability. We are now shifting the focus from the key performance indicators to the ability of our management system to effectively improve our records. In 2008, an external assessment covering almost all the subsidiaries and business sectors was the major step in this direction. Results are being carefully analysed, triggering a detailed three year roadmaps at plant, subsidiary and Group levels. The targets of zero accidents for employees, contractors and third parties is reconfi rmed, supported by actions and reinforced by the top-down responsibility of operational line management as the major safety driver.
Our environmental programmes continue to be focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While pursuing a strategy to address the opportunities and the challenges of the Kyoto Protocol and the European emissions trading scheme, we are deploying a wide set of actions to reduce the Group’s carbon footprint. The main axes of our response are plant modernisation, industrial assets rationalisation, optimisation of fuel mix energy effi ciency, extended use of blended products and innovation in our product range. Key investments such as major plant revamping projects are ongoing, setting the cornerstones for the future: in 2008, new state-of-the-art production lines in Yerraguntla (India), Ait Baha (Morocco), Martinsburg (North America) and Matera (Italy) entered the core phase of the construction process, and are scheduled to start production by the end of 2009.
Finally, open and effective engagement with employees, suppliers, customers, partners and other involved stakeholders is essential for helping the Group to create value, confi rming our living commitment to sustainable development.
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Giovanni Ferrario
Chief Operation Officer
Italcementi Group |
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