2Sustain

CEMEX announced last week that its United Kingdom operation (CEMEX UK) is the first cement company in the world to provide certified carbon labels for its cement using the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label.

The label will show the carbon footprint generated by CEMEX cements in the UK. This measurement is the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases generated by the cement from cradle to grave, including the extraction of the raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, use by customers and disposal at the end of life.

“People are increasingly interested in the carbon impact of the products they buy. The challenge for businesses, such as CEMEX, is to get meaningful information to them, so they can begin to make informed low carbon choices,” says Euan Murray, Head of Carbon Footprinting at the Carbon Trust. “The Carbon Reduction Label is designed to help customers quickly identify the brands that have measured their footprint and are committed to carbon reduction. We hope more companies will follow the example of CEMEX and adopt the Carbon Reduction Label.”

The carbon labeling comes on the heels of an earlier announcement that CEMEX UK’s cement division has been certified to the Building Research Establishment (BRE) Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products – BES6001 with a score of ‘Very Good’. This certification, which is part of CEMEX’s efforts to meet the requirements of the UK Government’s Strategy for Sustainable Construction, affirms that all cement supplied by CEMEX UK is responsibly sourced, to an independently verified standard that addresses the social, economic and environmental impacts across the entire supply chain.

Kudos to CEMEX for reaching these sustainability milestones, both of which demonstrate corporate responsibility, strategic risk management, market differentiation and a sincere commitment to reduce the environmental impact of doing business.