A new report published by the British Cement Association charts the significant progress made by the cement industry towards meeting its sustainable development goals.

Key achievements include:
• Reduction of direct CO2 emissions by 28% since 1990 giving CO2 savings of over 3.7Mt
• Fossil fuel consumption cut by over 22% between 1998 and 2005
• One million tonnes of waste diverted from landfill in 2005, as over 14% of kiln fuels and almost 5% of virgin raw materials are replaced by waste-derived materials
• 27.5% improvement in specific energy consumption against a 1990 baseline

The report, working towards sustainability 2, records the substantial progress made towards the commitments documented in the BCA’s Sustainable Development Task Force report published in November 2005, which set a strategic vision and a series of objectives for the UK cement industry. All UK cement manufacturers (Castle Cement, Cemex UK Operations, Lafarge Cement UK and Tarmac Buxton Lime and Cement) have continued to work hard to meet their sustainable development goals.

BCA Chief Executive, Mike Gilbert, said: ‘Working towards sustainability two is a progress report which records just that – real progress, in reporting industry performance and highlighting the value of cement manufacture and use in the UK. While this journey is one that will never be complete – I hope you share with me the satisfaction that we are making progress and helping others to do the same.

Cement, and its use in concrete, makes a huge contribution to our built environment. No house, school, hospital, road or bridge could be built without it. This latest report shows that the cement industry is playing its part in reducing CO2 emissions, saving energy and reducing waste’.