Cement producer Afrisam announced the introduction of a carbon dioxide (CO2) rating stamp on Friday, which will appear on every bag of cement that the company sells.

The CO2 rating stamp will show exactly how many kilograms of CO2 were emitted for the production of each 1-kg bag of cement.

This CO2 footprint worksheet, developed for each main Afrisam cement product, is an industry first in South Africa.

"We are cognisant of the fact that our product contributes greatly to issues surrounding global warming and the environment, but cement remains an essential commodity, probably one of the top three commodities in the world," said Afrisam COO of cement operations Stephan Olivier at the initiative launch at its Ulco cement production facility in the North West province.

"The environment remains one of our biggest concerns, and we aim to improve our efficiencies and lower our emissions by 2% every year."

The initiative is based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocols developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.