2005 Sustainability Report - Lafarge

Our
approach
INTERVIEW WITH
OLIVIER LUNEAU,
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
PAGE 04 | 2005 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT | LAFARGE
The sustainability
approach of a Group
like Lafarge
is continuously
being enhanced
How do you account for the vitality of the Group’s
sustainable development approach?
This vitality is fueled by the 2,000 sites that we operate in 76 countries. Each plant
has to deal with different economic, social and environmental conditions, and it is
up to our employees to develop the necessary solutions: the expectations of local
communities around a plasterboard facility in the United States differ from those at
one of our quarries in France. Our markets and customers are generally located very
close to our facilities from a geographical standpoint: 60 minutes from a concrete plant
to a customer. It is therefore critical for us to build a strong local presence and our
global performance depends on our capacity to become a seamless part of the local
fabric. This vitality can be measured through the very numerous initiatives implemented
locally. The ones implemented with Care International and Habitat for Humanity
have subsequently been pursued Group-wide. Lafarge cannot move forward on its own:
stakeholders and our panel challenge us regularly and act as critical friends if we appear
to lose our momentum... This is how we are constantly improving our approach.
What are the aims for the future?
Nothing can ever be taken for granted: society's needs are constantly evolving, and
communities' expectations are changing. We need to be able to listen, to state our
ambitions and to be credible in our results. Our methods probably represent the area
in which we can make the most progress by focusing on:
• More effectively embedding sustainable development in the Group's strategy: our
businesses have a significant environmental footprint. We need to reduce it (reduction
of CO2 emissions, quarry rehabilitation) and to develop products and construction
systems consistent with the needs of a more sustainable construction: products that
are easier to use, construction systems improving buildings' energy efficiency and
greater safety for our employees and our subcontractors.
• Concerning our approach: increasing the emphasis on sustainable development and
relations with stakeholders, by incorporating them into managers' training cycles
and ensuring consistency with the Group's internal goals.
• Greater emphasis on listening and transparency: this approach needs to be developed
and become institutionalized so that it can always guarantee that the Group does not
become isolated from its stakeholders.
• The link between objectives (crystal-clear and specific) and results is critical. We have
begun to have our results reviewed and certified by an external organization. For
instance, since 2001, the audited results of our CO2 emissions have been reported
to WWF International, who thus monitors our progress.
As you can see, we still have a lot of work to do! This is what makes my job exciting
because the challenges facing the Group are real, as is the Group's determination to
meet them.