Five CEMEX USA ready-mix concrete plants in northern California have earned responsible sourcing certification from the Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC), becoming the first facilities of any company in the United States to achieve the designation. The plants are also the first CSC-certified plants within CEMEX globally.
The five plants, located in Oakland, San Carlos, Santa Clara, San Jose and at Pier 92 in San Francisco, met the CSC qualifications as confirmed via an audit by SGS, an independent, third-party certification body.
Eleven founding members, including CEMEX, the Portland Cement Association, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s (WBCSD) Cement Sustainability Initiative launched the CSC in 2017 as a responsible-sourcing certification system, grading building-materials facilities on sustainable practices throughout supply chains. The CSC certification system uses a point system to judge the plants against criteria for responsible environmental, social, and governance practices.
“Sustainability is a guiding principle we honor at every facility at CEMEX USA,” said CEMEX USA President Ignacio Madridejos. “We are proud of these plants for becoming the first facilities in the U.S. to attain CSC certification as they demonstrate their leadership in environmental responsibility. Their impressive achievement can inspire others in CEMEX and across the industry. We applaud their strong commitment to making sustainable products through sustainable practices.”
With the certification system, the CSC aims to improve transparency of the concrete sector, highlight the essential role of concrete in creating a sustainable construction sector by getting recognition in green procurement government policies and building rating systems. Since its inception, nearly 70 plants worldwide have achieved CSC certification.
“We’ve worked with other industry experts and certification institutes worldwide to develop a thorough system designed to show how concrete, cement and aggregates companies are operating in an environmentally-responsible way,” said CSC Chair and CEMEX’s Sustainable Affairs Manager Dr. Alexander Röder. “By earning this certification, these CEMEX operations show they care about the environment and the communities around them.”
