The government have asked that all companies associated with building and maintaining the UK’s infrastructure work with them and sign up to its commitment to reduce carbon usage.  Last week Jesus Gonzalez made the pledge and signed us up too.

If emerging best practice is driven across the infrastructure sector over the coming years analysis suggests that up to 4 MtCO2e/year of capital carbon and 20 MtCO2e/year of operational carbon could be saved by 2050. This represents a net benefit to the UK economy in that year of up to £1.46 billion/year.

So what are we being asked to do? Pursue lower carbon solutions that also cost less and play our part in the value chain through: Leadership, innovation and procurement.

In addition to endorsing the high-level commitment, signatories are asked to undertake three (or more) specific – voluntary – actions of their choosing that help deliver the high-level ambition.  CEMEX UK has chosen these:

1) We commit to continue to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of all our existing products, working with our supply chains to generate improvements.

2) We commit to actively communicate lower carbon options and solutions to our customers and market stakeholders and encourage them to change buying habits.

3) We commit to invest in new, lower carbon product development and launch them in the marketplace.

Not only is this commitment best for shareholders but also the planet!!