Holcim US - Social Responsibility

Our ongoing business success and license to operate depend on the support and trust of all our stakeholders: employees, clients and suppliers, communities, local non-profits, government and regulators, shareholders, and society at large.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for Holcim is more than a collection of projects and occasional gestures. It is our commitment to work as partners with all our stakeholders to effectively improve the quality of life for members of our workforce, their families, and the communities around our operations. As such, CSR has always been an important and integral element of our business as evidenced by our many on-going internal and external initiatives.

Community Involvement
We believe that active involvement in the communities in which we operate is essential to the success of our business and we strive to be a trusted partner in each community. We are committed to working with all our stakeholders to build and maintain relationships of mutual trust and respect. We also work to improve the quality of life of our employees, their families, and the communities around our operations.

To accomplish these objectives, Holcim (US) focuses its engagement on three main themes, which were identified by our parent Holcim Ltd. The main themes are:

• Contributing to the provision of education for society’s future
• Supporting sustainable community development
• Helping to build infrastructure for livable communities

Our community involvement programs are based on the needs of communities in which we operate and have been in place and benefiting communities for decades. We participate in a wide variety of community involvement activities, including donated time, financial support, products, services, and management knowledge. The following initiatives are examples of our community involvement activities.

Community Advisory Committees
Holcim (US) established its first Community Advisory Committee (CAC) over a decade ago, and now leads the American cement industry in this area.

At most Holcim (US) plant locations a cross-section of community interests are invited to come together to discuss key issues surrounding the plant and its operation in a friendly and open forum. It is during the establishment of these committees that its method of operation, decision making processes, facilitation, and length of tenure, are decided upon by the committee members themselves.

Objectives of the advisory committees are to:

• Educate the public about the general operations of the plant
• Identify and address through a two-way dialogue issues (either real or perceived) of immediate concern to the residents
• Be a conduit for explaining permit processes (if applicable) and environmental controls
• Be the focal point of community and company interaction, channeling citizen inquiry to the committee and examining technical details on behalf of the community
• Communicate recommendations to Holcim, governing officials and the public
• Continuously improve the relationship between Holcim and the public

At Holcim we believe these CAC's provide the company with valuable insights into the concerns of the local community.

Learn about other areas of Social Responsibility at Holcim (US):