Download Sustainability - the 21st century challenge

Sustainability – the 21st century challenge
Global warming, a gradual increase in planet-wide temperatures, has been one of mankind’s
greatest challenges of the 21st century. Nonetheless, scientists across the world stress that there is
hope. There are some measures that we can take to prevent any further harm to our environment.
The recent United Nations conference on climate change also highlighted that with a change in
behaviour, we can still combat climate change. However, there is an urgent need for all countries to
drive towards the global emissions budget as a guiding principle towards reducing greenhouse gases.
It will take the whole world working together to make a difference.
It has been widely proven that industrialisation has been responsible for the increased cumulative
presence harmful gases in the atmosphere, especially carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane. The
burning of fossil fuels produces CO₂ and has led to disequilibria in the atmosphere. The gradual
increase in the earth’s temperatures has resulted in climate change and transformed life on earth.
Unfortunately, we have already started experiencing some of the undesirable effects of global
warming. Most recently, the storms in the UK and freezing temperatures in the USA have been
making headlines.
As the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases, it is the responsibility of industry to make every
effort to reduce the effects of their activities on the environment. To date, most emission mitigating
efforts have not yielded much result. With governments and world bodies rigorously campaigning
for action, transformation is imminent. Big corporates and small enterprises alike will have to start
making well considered decisions in every aspect of their business. No longer can any industry stand
back and plead ignorance as eco-savvy consumers now demand more viable practices. More than
ever before, sustainable business practices are now the key to having a competitive advantage.
The concept of the triple bottom line has gained momentum, with every business expected to
change into one that is not only financially secure, but environmentally and socially fit as well. While
there has been a considerable amount of debate on the actual meaning of sustainability, it is fair to
say that there is a significant understanding of the effects of our actions on the environment. For any
business to be credible, it will have to start making responsible choices in every aspect of their
dealings, including aligning themselves with responsible partners.
Global warming is a reality and a definite threat to our livelihood. Any further delays to
transformation will only spell disaster for our environment. As it is, the devastating effects of global
warming are being felt across the world. Extreme weather conditions, a rise in sea levels, an increase
in ocean acidification and natural disasters such as floods and destructive storms are slowly
becoming a regular occurrence. These disasters occur without much notice, leaving humans, plants
and animals alike are vulnerable. With governments already struggling to cater for the basics, most
economies cannot cope with the extra stresses brought on by these disasters.
Advancements in technology afford most industries the opportunity to re-think processes and
investigate more acceptable alternatives. Notably, the construction industry is one of the industries
that have many opportunities to make a positive change.
As a responsible cement company, we recognise the importance of our role in conserving the
environment. For a long while now, much effort has gone into investigating and implementing more
sustainable practices. In an attempt to follow this ethos, we have significantly reduced our carbon
emissions by changing the way we make cement; we rehabilitate our quarries; we take measures to
control the amount of dust we emit and we have energy saving programmes in place.
Our journey towards sustainability is still a long one. We continue to seek inspiration from others in
our industry and would be interested to hear how you have tackled the challenges that we as an
industry face.
For any business to enjoy long term success, it will have to meet all three dimensions of
performance; financial, social and environmental.