Reforestation as Part of the Sustainable Chain of Cement

Teak, pine, and eucalyptus now form part of the sustainable chain of cement. Reforestation is one of the ways in which Cementos Argos is consolidating part of its environmental strategy.

Cementos Argos – the largest cement company in Colombia, the fourth largest producer in Latin America, and the sixth largest producer of concrete in North America – has been planting important plantations of native species in 16 municipalities throughout the country. Plantations totaling around 10,047 hectares have been able to reduce the amount of CO2 by 1,980,859 tons. With the expansion in forestry plantations, Argos is looking to design and develop projects to participate in the carbon market, either in the market regulated by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) or in the voluntary market.

This initiative is a result of the concerns of the cement industry about generating new sources of air and life for the planet. As part of our philosophy, some mines and installations have natural fences or corridors that allow the return or establishment of fauna and flora and also hydrological regulation.

Through care and efficiency in its operations, Argos has not only achieved using the color green as the color of its logo, but it is also using the color as a symbol of its preoccupation with and support for the environment.

This commitment by the company has been highlighted by its participation since 2007 in the United Nations Global Compact, and by applying and strengthening the environmental principles suggested within, which in turn are based on the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.

The reforestation in which Argos is involved follows special principles for its adequate management:

• Non-intervention in relict forests and springs
• Contracting labor from the region and helping people who have been displaced by the violence to return
• The manual preparation of the land
• Good agricultural practices
• Training for the local population regarding the topic
• Support of local development

The projects of reforestation that Argos has developed in rural areas of Colombia generate direct and indirect employment, mobilize the local economy, and give hope to the residents, many of whom are victims of armed conflict.

For example, in 2009 in the activities of establishment and maintenance, we subsidized 6,708 wages, which for 6 months worked are the equivalent of 93 direct jobs.

For 2010 we initiated projects that generated 110 jobs from the first of February in the areas of Palmira, San Onofre, Pajonalito, and Algarrobal.

There are cases where the evidence suggests that reforestation has become the path toward peace in some communities, providing security, employment, and development.

The improvement of roads to transport the timber, and programs such as the construction or improvement of educational institutions and the training of the local population in the protection of the forest are a fundamental part of the social component that the plantations bring and that contribute to the development of the vulnerable populations of Colombia.

But the goal of Argos goes much further and is counting on the formulation of CDM projects in agreement with the Kyoto Protocol for the commercialization of certificates for certified emission reduction.

Actually, the project that the company developed concerns 1,090 hectares planted in Colombia in the municipalities of Antioquia and Sucre and was validated in its initial phase by the United Nations, becoming one of only a few projects of this kind on the continent.

With this first achievement, the company can continue on its path toward sustainability, not only reducing the level of emissions in Colombia but also being an example for other industrialized countries that need to invest in reforestation to reach their goals for reduction of greenhouse gases.

For 2014 Argos has a firm goal to plant 3,000 hectares and thus do its bit to contain climate change.