In its Sustainability Report 2022, Buzzi Unicem shares with its stakeholders an accurate snapshot of the company's economic, environmental and social performance.

In this edition, the twenty-second one to be exact, the company once again seizes the opportunity to give an update on its goals. The year 2022 was the year in which we achieved the goals announced in 2017: a 5% reduction in our specific CO2 emissions, the implementation of structural engagement projects, and increasingly safer working conditions at all production facilities. 

Also worthy of note is the introduction of a section dedicated to the Roadmap "Our Journey to Net Zero" and to the validation by SBTi, an authoritative international body that has approved our targets to 2030. 

Lastly, in this Report we provide all the information required by Taxonomy Regulation: after the indication of the percentages of eligible turnover, investments and operating costs, provided in last year's Report, this year we also included the respective percentages of alignment according to the criteria established by the Regulation for the cement industry.

Read the complete report here.
 

The new edition of the Stakeholder Engagement report shows the activities in the plants, after the years conditioned by the pandemic.
The document describes the various projects that the company has carried out throughout the country, reaching more than 9,000 stakeholders.

In addition to various cultural and social activities, particular effort was put into the training with schools on the climate change matter and other topics.
“High 5” has been a winning project also in 2022, involving 135 students with more than 11,000 hours of training at the plants and at Casale Monferrato headquarters.

Read the complete report here.
 

Buzzi Unicem presents the 21st edition of its Sustainability Report, a document that describes its economic, environmental and social performance in 2021.

During the past year, the Company continued its support, at the global level, for communities affected by the Covid-19 emergency, donating €1.5 million through various humanitarian organizations operating in the countries where it operates.

In spite of the global emergency situation and a substantial increase in costs in the second half of the year, production volumes improved and financial results maintained the excellent level attained in the previous year. In addition, 2021 was the year of publication of the GCCA (Global Cement and Concrete Association) roadmap. Buzzi Unicem actively participated in drafting this document, sharing its objectives. The GCCA roadmap presents the gradual reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the achievement of climate neutrality by the year 2050. Buzzi Unicem is currently working on the definition of its strategic plan, aimed at setting new targets for the reduction of CO₂ emissions.

The Sustainability Report discloses information according to the European Taxonomy Regulation and the climate change risk assessment in line with the recommendations of the TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures).

The Company confirms its commitment to pursue health and safety objectives for the protection of its employees, with more than 50% of training hours provided on these issues.

In this context of major and significant changes, Buzzi Unicem reaffirms to operate with a view to innovation and progress, attracting and holding on to young talent, promoting meritocracy and teamwork, and sharing with its stakeholders a strategic vision in line with the objectives of sustainable development.

Buzzi Unicem presents the second edition of the "Stakeholder Engagement Report", which describes the activities aimed at stakeholders carried out during 2021.
Inclusion, transparency, and focus on social issues and the environment are some of the principles underlying stakeholder engagement initiatives, which are conducted in collaboration with local entities and associations with the goal of creating new spaces for listening and fostering dialogue with the local territory.
The Report illustrates the widespread involvement of our stakeholders through collaborative events and activities aimed at supporting underprivileged or differently abled people, as well as culture, sports, and the arts.
The cement plants are an integral and integrated part of the local territory and provide a venue for debates and meetings aimed at identifying feasible and tangible projects. 
The production units are also involved in educational projects: they host visits and training courses for students from schools and universities, with the objective of illustrating the production cycle, the techniques employed and the technological innovation. 
The creation and sharing of value continue to be the key principles underpinning the Company's activities, where the building of relationships based on trust is of primary importance in the synergic process of collective growth. 
 

Buzzi Unicem launches on the Italian and German markets the new product line called CGreen, a family of CO₂ efficient cements. 
In keeping with the sustainability policies that distinguish the company and with the aim of meeting the targets of the future ecological transition, CGreen marks the natural evolution of Buzzi Unicem's hydraulic binders, continuing in the footsteps of a long tradition of high-quality, high-performance products.
The CGreen line was developed by selecting suitable active additions, partially replacing clinker, optimizing grinding and mixing conditions and using new generation additives, at the same time keeping the required technical performance. 

"The ecological transition", explains Antonio Buzzi, Chief Operating Officer Cemento Italia, "calls for us to adapt our behaviors and actions in order to neutralize our carbon footprint: we all have a responsibility to reduce CO₂ emissions, which are considered a key factor in amplifying the greenhouse effect and, consequently, climate change. This transition, therefore, implies the partial or total redesign of production processes, distribution systems and consumption patterns, heralding the start of a potential industrial revolution and a change in our habits".
So, in order to meet this challenge and involve the entire supply chain, the company aims at innovation with a line of products duly selected and suited to contain their environmental footprint.

Starting from the Global Warming Potential (GWP) indicator, which indicates the carbon footprint of each individual binder, the Italian CGreen cements were reclassified and organized, highlighting through this new line those products with the best environmental performance. In addition, like all Buzzi Unicem's cements, the CGreen cements are also accompanied by Environmental Product Declarations, obtained through the EPD certification system, which guarantees full transparency and representativeness of the environmental performance of the product throughout its life cycle. 
CGreen will be the distinguishing trademark for low carbon footprint cements in all countries where the group operates. In particular today, Dyckerhoff ECO COMFORT and Dyckerhoff CEDUR cements, launched on the German market, join the CGreen family.

Dirk Beese, Managing Director Dyckerhoff GmbH: “The CGreen cements Dyckerhoff ECO COMFORT and CEDUR are our new cements with a carbon footprint up to 39% lower compared to standard Portland cements. These cements are our solution to the increasing demand for CO2 efficient cements in our markets.”
CGreen represents a further step towards the achievement of energy transition objectives, which the company pursues also by investing in projects for the reduction of all emissions and for the development of technologies aimed at capturing and re-using CO₂.

For more details on CGreen line products:

CGreen product line Italy 

CGreen Dyckerhoff Germany 

Italgas and Buzzi Unicem have signed an agreement for the development of a feasibility study on the implementation of Power to Gas plants in combination with Carbon Capture Systems at Buzzi Unicem's production plants.

The implementation of these technologies is aimed at promoting the decarbonization of cement and concrete production processes in order to increase environmental sustainability and facilitate the energy transition. In particular, the study will assess the possibility of producing and using, in the most suitable Buzzi Unicem plants, synthetic methane obtained from the combination of green hydrogen produced by the Power to Gas plants with part of the CO₂ released in the production processes.

The agreement leverages on the solid experience gained by Italgas with the development of a Power to Gas project in Sardinia to produce green hydrogen with the aim of testing its uses also in urban contexts, in public transport and in supplying local energy-intensive industries.

"We strongly believe in Power to Gas technology – Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas affirmed - and in its strategic contribution to the energy transition in terms of sector coupling. The production of hydrogen from renewable sources enables the use of gas networks in the dual function of carrier and energy storage asset, ensuring greater flexibility to the system. The agreement represents a great opportunity for us to take a further step forward in the study of innovative solutions and technological best practices. Therefore, we are pleased to share with Buzzi Unicem the know-how we have developed in the design of the Italgas P2G plant that will be built in Sardinia, creating the first technological showcase of the green hydrogen production chain in Italy".

Luigi Buzzi, Group Technical Director at Buzzi Unicem, confirms that "we are very interested in the opportunity to collaborate with Italgas as an experienced partner to develop a project that is fully integrated into our industrial investment plan aimed at identifying technologies for capturing and reusing the CO₂ released by our plants, in line with the roadmaps defined by industry associations.
Our aim is to responsibly contribute to containing climate change by developing CO₂ capture technologies and identifying the best solutions for its reuse. We are currently experimenting with Calcium Looping technology for capturing the carbon dioxide released by the production process at our plant in Vernasca (PC). Thanks to the EU Horizon 2020 project "CLEANKER" (CLEAN- clinKER), it will be possible to assess the technical and economic sustainability of this technology and estimate the changes to the plant and the investments required to adopt this process in existing cement plants.
We are ready to face the ecological transition with great determination and motivated to start the Power to Gas project with Italgas soon, hoping that this new technology can be adopted on a large scale in the future".

Buzzi Unicem presents its stakeholder engagement projects and reiterates its invitation to communicate, actively participate in schools and collaborate with local communities

All Buzzi Unicem plants are open again for hosting visits.
After a period during which we were forced to slow down our activities, our engineers, technicians and all our staff are now ready to safely welcome anyone who wants to learn more about cement production and the technologies used throughout the production process, ranging from the extraction of raw materials through to the grinding and shipping of clinker.

Buzzi Unicem views Stakeholder Engagement as a systematic process aimed at creating value, and is a fundamental tool for promoting the active involvement of people and sharing the principles and values on which our company is founded.

Numerous projects and initiatives have stemmed from this virtuous process, with the goal of strengthening our synergistic relationships with local communities and creating mutual prosperity and growth. During these last few years, our plants have been the stage for “encounters with art”, and occasions for gatherings and discussions on many topics of interest for local communities. We plan to reiterate our invitation to continue on this path of active involvement by evaluating new projects and initiatives together, site by site.  

We strongly believe in the mutual enrichment deriving from the school-work rotation programs that offer an opportunity for young students to plan their future and prepare their entry into the working world.
Known as “High Five”, this initiative has been developed in conjunction with the schools and is based on the principle of “learn by doing”, by fostering a close-knit collaboration between businesses and educational institutions. The project is an excellent vehicle for overcoming the traditional separation between the worlds of school and work by bringing them closer together through shared pathways aimed at reducing the time of entry into the working world for the younger generations. We have systematically resumed this project and have already received several requests for collaboration from schools.

In terms of continuous improvement, Buzzi Unicem pursues the creation of value through stakeholder engagement best practices, continuing the approach it has taken for several years in sharing common basic principles and standards of honesty and transparency. .

Would you like to visit a cement plant?

To visit a cement plant, please send an email or call one of the contacts listed in the following link: Open plants

High 5: Relationships with schools

For further details:

"Hive Five": School-work rotation
For information and applications for work rotations at the company, please send a request to: scuola@buzziunicem.it

Stakeholder Engagement – for further information on the approach taken by Buzzi Unicem and details on the projects in 2020:

Stakeholder Engagement
Report Stakeholder Engagement

The lack of correlation between the detection of heavy metals and the onset of illness or health problems was highlighted at the technical meeting between ASL and the municipality of Barletta and the signatories of the memorandum of understanding on the biomonitoring of children’s nails. 

It was also learned that Dr. Agostini Di Ciaula himself explained that epidemiological studies are needed, admitting that this is an evolving scientific area with no benchmark standards that would give cause for any immediate concern. 

The lack of benchmark standards for the biological sample selected was just one of the aspects that Buzzi Unicem had drawn attention to from the beginning, pointing out the apparent shortcomings that could render the conclusions of the study in question entirely hypothetical. 
Another important aspect that must be carefully evaluated by the authorities is the absence of any correlation with the business activities of the Barletta cement plant.

The company therefore reiterates its complete willingness to collaborate with the authorities involved in the project, fully believing in the importance of providing thorough and accurate information to the citizenry rather than data of dubious value that would only create a climate of insinuation. 

The true undertaking lies in conducting the evaluations methodically and scientifically based on objective and detailed data, which we believe is the only way that can provide the appropriate environmental information.

With regard to the study by Mr. Agostino Di Ciaula, conducted at the Barletta cement plant and recently published in the "Exposure and Health" journal, Buzzi Unicem has taken note of the results and has begun a process of in-depth analysis, in order to carefully evaluate the findings of this study.

An initial analysis has revealed obvious shortcomings which could invalidate the study in question. It is therefore considered necessary for the competent authorities to assess the thesis presented in order to provide the public with the proper information.

By way of example, below are some aspects that should be highlighted:

• the emission fallout considered by the research does not reflect the actual situation;
• during the reference period, the kiln at the Barletta cement plant was not running for more than half of the time for air quality purposes;
• the data was published in a biased manner, which did not allow a full analysis of the situation observed;
• for several metals, the study found higher concentrations in the fingernails of children not subjected to the fallout from cement plant emissions;
• the biological samples on the fingernails are prone to external contamination, presenting important critical points in the assessment of environmental exposure in the absence of reliable comparison values. 

The document prepared by Buzzi Unicem will soon be shared with all the competent bodies, with a view to transparency and accountability.

The company reaffirms its commitment to protecting the health and well-being of the communities in which it operates and strives to address in-depth the concerns of many citizens, in everyone’s interest.
 

With regard to the study by Mr. Agostino Di Ciaula, conducted at the Barletta cement plant and recently published in the "Exposure and Health" journal, Buzzi Unicem has taken note of the results and has begun a process of in-depth analysis, in order to carefully evaluate the findings of this study.

An initial analysis has revealed obvious shortcomings which could invalidate the study in question. It is therefore considered necessary for the competent authorities to assess the thesis presented in order to provide the public with the proper information.

By way of example, below are some aspects that should be highlighted:

• the emission fallout considered by the research does not reflect the actual situation;
• during the reference period, the kiln at the Barletta cement plant was not running for more than half of the time for air quality purposes;
• the data was published in a biased manner, which did not allow a full analysis of the situation observed;
• for several metals, the study found higher concentrations in the fingernails of children not subjected to the fallout from cement plant emissions;
• the biological samples on the fingernails are prone to external contamination, presenting important critical points in the assessment of environmental exposure in the absence of reliable comparison values. 

The document prepared by Buzzi Unicem will soon be shared with all the competent bodies, with a view to transparency and accountability.

The company reaffirms its commitment to protecting the health and well-being of the communities in which it operates and strives to address in-depth the concerns of many citizens, in everyone’s interest.
 

The key cement plant figures for 2020 are available, reported in individual brochures that can be downloaded from this link as well as obtainable in paper form during plant visits. 

The purpose is to inform our stakeholders about Buzzi Unicem production site activities from both a strictly operational standpoint as well as our presence within the community. More specifically, the data are organized into two main areas, namely the specific figures for each plant and the overall figures for the Group. 
The individual plant figures focus on the environment, employee accidents, events involving the plant and atmospheric emissions. 

The environmental data include the tons of recovered raw materials (circular economy), the kilowatt hours consumed to produce one ton of cementitious material, the megacalories used to produce one ton of clinker, and the environment and safety investments made during the 2018-2020 three-year period. With respect to the atmospheric emissions, we report the figures for dust, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. 

The overall Group figures include the key data for Buzzi Unicem S.p.A, the certifications obtained and the Group’s policies. 

The 2020 edition of Buzzi Unicem’s Sustainability report was presented today.

In addition to accurate reporting of economic, environmental and social indicators, the document also provides an update on objectives and targets, in line with the policies promoted by the company.

From an economic standpoint, the financial results show an improvement on the levels achieved in 2019 despite the difficulties related to the health emergency. The company hopes that both the vaccination plans and the economic stimulus announced by governments will strengthen demand for the sector and contribute to growth.

On the environmental level, the report illustrates the Group's commitment to reducing CO2 which in absolute value, in 2020, was down mainly due to a lower production of clinker and a lower use of electricity.

The year 2021 will be crucial for the definition of new targets for the reduction of CO₂ emissions in the medium term, while the goal of climate neutrality by 2050, already announced by Cembureau - the European Cement Manufacturers' Association - could also be confirmed by the end of the year by the global association GCCA (Global Cement and Concrete Association), of which Buzzi Unicem is a member. For the company this is a complex and stimulating challenge, which it does not want to shy away from.

Social performance highlights the results of good practices in terms of health and safety at work and confirms the downward trend in workplace accidents in recent years. In addition, in order to mitigate the problems related to the health emergency, the company has decided to help people in difficulty in the countries where the Group's plants operate by donating over € 3 million to provide tangible help, in collaboration with various non-profit organizations.

Lastly, the company noticed that interest in non-financial information is growing and thus reiterates its commitment to constantly improving the quality and level of detail of non-financial information.

We would like to inform you that last night, at the Barletta plant, due to the rupture of a pipe containing oil and the high temperatures of the duct, a fire broke out - promptly extinguished - for which the Fire Brigade was called in to support the company's emergency team.

The timely repairs made it possible to avoid stopping the production.

There were no consequences for both the workers’ safety and the surrounding environment.

The first edition of the 2020 Stakeholder Engagement Report aims to report on the many initiatives undertaken by Buzzi Unicem in favor of all stakeholders, mainly in the areas where the company operates.

The projects are part of the Stakeholder Engagement Policy and the intention is to highlight the constructive dialogue established over the years, sharing in a transparent manner the activities underway and the company's short and medium-term strategies.

The year 2020 was a difficult one, but despite everything we managed to strengthen our commitments to the community and establish new partnerships. The report identifies the main areas - social, cultural, educational and sports - on which it was deemed appropriate to focus, also on the basis of the needs expressed by the local communities.

In spite of the many difficulties that schools have had to face in recent months, School-Work activities have continued through the Webinar channel, which has been positively accepted and has become a consolidated practice for keeping in touch with the students.

Buzzi Unicem is fully aware of the importance of building and maintaining relationships of trust, based on mutual respect, active partnership, transparency and long-term collaboration with its stakeholders, in order to create shared value.

The Barletta cement plant closed the year 2020 with an important achievement: the absence of injuries in the workplace, both for company employees and contractors.
The zero on this report highlights good practice that translates into safe and proper behavior, making the combination of "efficiency and safety" more valuable.

For Buzzi Unicem, this result represents tangible recognition of the commitment to health and safety of all personnel, both in-house and external, and an invitation to continue in this direction, aiming at continuous improvement.

On August 31, in the Town Hall of the Municipality of Barletta, a press conference was held to present the music competitions which, thanks to the contribution of Buzzi Unicem, the non-profit organization Fondazione Megamark, along with the Municipality of Barletta, the Apulia Region and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, offer many talented young people the chance to make their dreams come true.
During the press conference, Maestro Francesco Monopoli, Artistic Director of the event, pointed out the importance and the difficulty of being able to organize music competitions in such a difficult time as this, which has forced to change the methods of production, until the final decision to broadcast them online in order not to lose the continuity of the event.

The Director of the Barletta plant, Luciano Nenna, also spoke, underlining how the Competitions organized by the Curci Association speak a young language in line with the corporate spirit.

Buzzi Unicem, in continuity with the past and recognizing the contribution of arts to cultural development, is pleased to support this kind of events, which create a real bond between the artistic world and the business world, underlining its intention to continue to support an event, which is destined to become more and more a reference point for the city of Barletta, while investing in the young generations.