'As one of the largest global sustainability programmes ever undertaken by a single industry sector, we have a real opportunity to drive change. Our plans are ambitious and we are conscious that we will only achieve them by working together.'
In 2017, the members of the CSI agreed to concentrate their efforts on the most material topics, among others: ... actions to further reduce CO2 emissions...
CEO Eric Olsen elected Chairman of Cement Sustainability Initiative for 2017. Discover its important work: https://t.co/1e6xs74swW @nyyleung pic.twitter.com/XHsi5gUAFf— LafargeHolcim (@LafargeHolcim) December 14, 2016
And Eric Olsen may have a real opportunity to drive change, but many will see this as no more than rearranging the deckchairs, a public relations façade, greenwash - because only last month there were reports of the Cement sector obstructing climate policy for windfall profits and of being second only to the oil and gas sector in lobbying against EU climate change policy. More specifically, that LafargeHolcim has "consistently sought to undermine the ETS and other EU climate policy".
But hey, who knows, maybe as chair of a sustainability initiative he now wants to make a difference. So perhaps people should write to eric.olsen@lafargeholcim.com and tell him just how unsustainable his company is planning to be in Devon. Copy his respective heads of sustainability in for good measure: bernard.mathieu@lafargeholcim.com and donna.hunt@aggregate.com, and any of the UK executive committee.
After all, and as UK construction industry leaders discussed last month regarding the benefits of reducing carbon emissions issues at the 'Climate Change Challenge seminar':
And that's language that even business people can understand.
