CEMEX showcases sustainability progress and commitments at UN General Assembly
CEMEX’s CEO, Fernando A. González, participated in a CEO roundtable hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the UN’s New York City headquarters on Monday, Sept. 19. The roundtable included 11 CEOs representing companies from around the globe and focused on proposals for strengthening the private sector’s commitment to the SDGs.
“CEMEX’s core purpose is to build a better, more sustainable, future,” said Fernando A. González. “We recently agreed to strengthen our partnership with the UN on topics aligned with our strategy and areas of expertise including sustainable finance, supply chain, diversity and inclusion, and a just transition to a carbon neutral economy. Moreover, through our flagship decarbonization program, Future in Action, we seek to lead the way in climate action for the building materials industry.”
In 2022, for the second consecutive year, the world achieved little progress towards the SDG 2030 targets. The roundtable united leaders from companies that are strongly contributing to the UN Global Compact (UNGC) to discuss how to inspire ambitious and principled business leadership committed to achieving the SDGs. The UNGC is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, and an ideal platform for the private sector to align its strategies and operations to the SDGs.
Recent contributions to the SDGs by CEMEX include the launch of Vertua, its lower-carbon and net-zero CO2 family of products; agreements to clean beaches and waterways, including the Nile River, and use the recovered waste as an alternative fuel in its operations; a new concrete 3D printing construction solution with the potential to reduce housing costs; and the transition of several cement plants to renewable electricity.
CEMEX was also present at the SDG Investment Forum organized by the UNGC’s CFO Coalition. At the event, CEMEX’s CFO, Maher Al-Haffar, spoke about CEMEX’s decarbonization pathway, the experience of aligning its investments to the SDGs, and the innovations required to deliver only net-zero concrete by 2050. Earlier this year CEMEX published its Green Financing Framework, which together with its Sustainability-Linked Framework align its corporate finance strategy to its sustainability commitments and support the financing of SDG-aligned investments in areas such as CO2 emissions reduction, clean electricity, energy efficiency, clean transportation, water management, air quality, circular economy, and waste management.
In parallel to the UN’s General Assembly, Business Fights Poverty held its Global Goals Summit where member companies shared their efforts in driving equity, building resilience, and fighting poverty. CEMEX’s Social Impact Director, Beatriz Tumoine, shared CEMEX’s experience in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace in a global context.
- To be below 475kg of CO2 per ton of cementitious material, equivalent to a 40% reduction*
- To reduce the carbon content per cubic meter of concrete to 165kg, equivalent to a 35% reduction*
- To reach 55% in clean energy consumption
* According to our 1990 baseline
CEMEX offers cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and urbanization solutions in growing markets around the world, powered by a multinational workforce focused on providing a superior customer experience, enabled by digital technologies. For more information please visit:www.cemex.com
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