Bruno Lafont, Chairman and CEO of Lafarge, and James P. Leape, Director-General of WWF International, have announced the renewal of the partnership between Lafarge and WWF International for another four years.  This new phase of the partnership will see a continuation of the work carried out by Lafarge and the non-governmental organization since 2000.


In 2000, Lafarge was the first industrial player to become a WWF ‘Conservation Partner’ by signing a five-year global partnership, first renewed in 2005.  Through this ongoing partnership, WWF International and Lafarge formalised their will to work together on the reduction of the environmental footprint in the construction materials sector.
 


At the renewal of the partnership, Bruno Lafont stated:  “Building on the progress we have made via this partnership with WWF International, we have decided to renew our engagement.  Since 2000, we have made considerable progress on our environmental approach, however much work still needs to be done.  We expect an effective support from WWF International, in areas of climate change, biodiversity or water consumption.  Such a partnership is a fantastic opportunity to challenge our vision with the one of an environmental NGO. In the current economic context, we reaffirm our commitment towards sustainable development at a strategic level to differentiate us today and in the future.”



James P. Leape, General Director of WWF International welcomed the renewal of the partnership and said:  “The recent performances in terms of CO2 emissions achieved by Lafarge are encouraging.  The commitment of Lafarge by our side has also pulled the largest international cement groups to commit to objectives to reduce CO2 emissions.  The challenge for Lafarge is to extend its efforts to its entire Group notably in emerging economies (Brazil, China, and India) where demand for construction materials is growing rapidly.  Through this partnership, we are looking to Lafarge to take a leadership role in moving the entire cement sector, and other industries, towards a sustainable economy.”