Interview with Pilar Gegúndez, head of the environment and environment of Lafarge cement service
First of all, you are responsible for environment and sustainability of resources, can can explain what is this Department?
Since the Department promotes the implementation of the environmental policy of the Lafarge Group, and in particular: the development of the activity of recovery of waste, reducing as far as possible the consumption of non-renewable natural resources; follow-up of the actions necessary to comply with the commitments of reducing emissions of CO2; propose, develop, and implement improvement actions necessary for proactive adaptation to environmental legislation that is brewing in the EU; keep the systems of management of the environment, based on the rules and audits of the Lafarge Group; ensure the sustainable development of the company in its environment by fostering agreements for participation in the environmental management of the company with universities and NGOs.
Can you define the concept of sustainability to a construction such as Lafarge cement company?
This is work in a balanced manner in economic development, respect for the environment and social responsibility to ensure the viability of the business in the long term. Already the continuity of enterprises who do not work with this triple lens cannot be guaranteed.
What kind of commitment is Lafarge cement as a member of the Iberian network of trade forest of the WWF/Adena?
Support the principles of sustainable forest management through the responsible consumption of wood and paper. To this end, a policy which expresses the commitment to transparency in the market for forest products, responsible for forest management and credible forest certification which has moved to our suppliers of paper and wood has been developed.
The plan of action that we have a year after vista is to achieve FSC certification of 25 per cent of the bags that we put on the market; create demand and certification also pallets suppliers; expand the use of paper recycled and certified FSC at the Office and in brochures/magazines of internal and external communication.
Lafarge has become the first company in the world in its sector to use paper bags and FSC certified pallets. Can you explain what it is about the project?
On the basis of an agreement signed with WWF/Adena, one of the largest global organizations for the conservation of nature, Cementos Lafarge is committed to sustainable forest management through the responsible consumption of paper and wood. With this initiative, Lafarge cement has received the certification of the Council of Administration forest (FSC, for its acronym in English), which is a control system which ensures that the materials with which bags and pallets are produced come from sustainable sourceslegal and controlled. For WWF/Adena, Lafarge cements commitment is a great example environmental and social, which contributes to improving the management of the forests of the planet.
Manufacture sacks for the sector of the construction in Spain amounts to 631 million units per year, implying 1.236.760 approximate logging. Proportionally, Lafarge cement consumed annually 28 million sacks; This means logging 49,000, which represents 4 per cent of the total. In Spain taken on 2/3 of imported wood products. 16 Percent of this wood comes from countries where illegal and unsustainable logging practices.
The initiative of Lafarge cement generates very important advances that promote the forestry sector. In just a decade, the commitment to market-leading companies has contributed greatly to facilitate the FSC certified in more than 100 million hectares worldwide. This initiative is important for Lafarge cement because it is in line with the policy of environmental protection of the Lafarge Group and with the agreement that has subscribed with WWF International, to environmentally improve their production processes.
The bet of Lafarge cement for this certification demonstrates that companies can incorporate policies of corporate social responsibility, further strengthening its business leadership.
How does it start this initiative?
The initiative is part of the agreement we have with WWF International to environmentally improve our production processes. One of the main lines of the agreement with the NGO is to promote and respect for biodiversity and this initiative of responsible consumption of forest products directly reverts in respect of the biodiversity of forests, which should be exploited to produce paper or wood.
Lafarge cement is a company that produces and sells materials and services for the construction which began its activity in Spain in 1901 under the name Asland and, since 1989, owned by the Lafarge Group, multinational leader in world's largest producer of cement and construction materials.
In Spain, generating more than 1,000 jobs in three factories (Montcada i Reixac, Sagunto and Villaluenga de la Sagra); milling (Tarragona) station; its headquarters (Madrid) and eight points of distribution (Cartagena, Ribarroja of Túria, Barcelona, Castellón, Azuqueca de Henares, Abroñigal, Manzanares and Guadarrama).
The Lafarge Group is a global leader in the sector of construction materials. Lafarge holds a leading position in all its branches of activity: cement, aggregate and concrete and plaster. The Group has 90,000 employees and is present in a total of 76 countries. In 2007, its turnover amounted to 17,600 million euros, with a net profit attributable to the Group of EUR 1.9 billion. Lafarge is the only company in the construction sector in the 2008 list of the 100 multinationals involved in sustainable development.
For years, the growth of Lafarge is part of a sustainable development strategy: its experience and success to reconcile industrial efficiency, value creation, respect for the people and cultures, protection of the environment and natural resources and energy savings.
The company directs its efforts towards the development of innovative products and solutions that generate added value to the professionals of the sector and reduce the environmental impact. The group is a leader in research and development of building materials. In his research center of Lyon, France, work more than 500 employees from countries around the world.
Lafarge collaborates with architects and engineers in order to adapt the characteristics of the products to their needs and promote sustainable construction methods to limit the environmental impact and to ensure the highest quality in terms of durability and aesthetics. In the past 15 years, the Group has participated in the construction of innovative architectural projects around the world.
What challenges have you faced?
Being pioneers in the demand for industrial paper certified for use in the manufacture of sacks, has had to develop and audit traceability of certification from the forest until the final producer of sacks, which is that supplies us with directly. Not all our suppliers of paper and wood are still available to certified raw access.
In the case of office equipment, the market now demands more regularly FSC certified paper.
The WWF Iberian forest trade network is a tool that encourages the informed and responsible consumption of wood, paper and Cork between Spanish and Portuguese companies. This initiative aims to contribute, from the market, to curb the loss and degradation of forests around the world. Through the initiative, companies commit to develop a program of responsible for forest products purchase which progressively increases the supply of products certified by credible systems such as the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), maximum guarantee of origin legal and sustainable.
