On Saturday, October 5, starting at 2:30 PM, the Buzzi Unicem plant and the Unical concrete facility in Siniscola opened their doors to the community for the Federbeton Open Doors event.

The initiative offered all visitors the opportunity to spend an afternoon of meeting and sharing, designed to highlight the people, work, and relationships that enrich the local territory. For the occasion, the production sites were transformed into open spaces of discovery, where attendees could learn firsthand about the activities and projects connecting Buzzi group companies with the local community.

Numerous local associations, which have collaborated for years to support social and cultural initiatives, took part in the event, including A.S.D. Valkirie Volley, the University of the Third Age of Siniscola, A.S.D. Pedale Siniscolese, the La Fenice Association, and the Siniscola 90 Association.

The day was enriched by performances from the folk group “Cuccuru e Janas” and the choir “Su Siniscolesu”, who entertained attendees with songs and dances from Sardinian tradition.

The invitation was extended to all citizens to experience a day of engagement, discovery, and appreciation of the local territory.

The initiative was part of the traditional Family & Friends program, which from the morning had involved employees and their families.

The weekend of celebrations was preceded by a safety awareness event: on Friday, October 4, students from the Michelangelo Pira Institute in Siniscola attended the #IMPROSAFE show.

Two sessions were scheduled, involving approximately 200 students from the 4th and 5th grades of the Scientific High School and the Technical Institute for Transport and Logistics. The show, promoted in collaboration with the LHS Foundation and Improforma, offered an interactive and participatory approach that had already been successfully tested at other Buzzi Unicem plants in Italy.

“A nation in which no children are born has no future and does not innovate”.

Starting from this assumption, the company has developed the Family Friendly Company project to support women and families who wish to give birth to children. This is a set of measures, with economic and non-economic effects, to support colleagues of Italian companies of the Group in their life and growth choices.

More generally, Buzzi aims to counter the birth rate in our country, which is experiencing serious demographic decline. In fact, Italy is at the bottom of the European ranking of children per woman (only 1.22); furthermore, 43% of women with one child have no intention of having more for economic, professional and social reasons (Sources: ISTAT, June 2023; Save the Children Report: “Le Equilibriste - La maternità in Italia 2023”).

The company says: “In line with sustainability policies and people valorization, we want 'our parents' to face motherhood and fatherhood with serenity and that 'our mothers' have equal development opportunities, knowing that they can choose to bring children into the world, without their career path being limited as a consequence."

The interventions involve accompanying new parents from the months preceding the birth until they return to work.

The figure of the 'Family Friend' is established, a person designated to maintain contact with the colleague on leave for information purposes and on a voluntary basis, to update her/him on what is happening at work, in order to facilitate her/his return; the 'Thank you bonus' and the 'Up to kindergarten' are economic additions to optional post-natal leave; the 'Happy kids' contribution is a financial support for each new born up to a maximum of 3,000 euros gross per year for 3 years (the beneficiaries of this measure also include parents with children who, as of 31 December 2023, have not yet 3 years of age); finally, the return accompaniment path called 'Back on track' facilitates and harmonizes the colleague’s return to work.

Family Friendly Company is part of a broader project that intends to strengthen the company's commitment to promote an increasingly inclusive culture, based on equity and equal development opportunities and aimed at maintaining a healthy balance between work activity and family size.

In its Sustainability Report 2022, Buzzi Unicem shares with its stakeholders an accurate snapshot of the company's economic, environmental and social performance.

In this edition, the twenty-second one to be exact, the company once again seizes the opportunity to give an update on its goals. The year 2022 was the year in which we achieved the goals announced in 2017: a 5% reduction in our specific CO2 emissions, the implementation of structural engagement projects, and increasingly safer working conditions at all production facilities. 

Also worthy of note is the introduction of a section dedicated to the Roadmap "Our Journey to Net Zero" and to the validation by SBTi, an authoritative international body that has approved our targets to 2030. 

Lastly, in this Report we provide all the information required by Taxonomy Regulation: after the indication of the percentages of eligible turnover, investments and operating costs, provided in last year's Report, this year we also included the respective percentages of alignment according to the criteria established by the Regulation for the cement industry.

Read the complete report here.
 

The new edition of the Stakeholder Engagement report shows the activities in the plants, after the years conditioned by the pandemic.
The document describes the various projects that the company has carried out throughout the country, reaching more than 9,000 stakeholders.

In addition to various cultural and social activities, particular effort was put into the training with schools on the climate change matter and other topics.
“High 5” has been a winning project also in 2022, involving 135 students with more than 11,000 hours of training at the plants and at Casale Monferrato headquarters.

Read the complete report here.
 

Buzzi Unicem presents the second edition of the "Stakeholder Engagement Report", which describes the activities aimed at stakeholders carried out during 2021.
Inclusion, transparency, and focus on social issues and the environment are some of the principles underlying stakeholder engagement initiatives, which are conducted in collaboration with local entities and associations with the goal of creating new spaces for listening and fostering dialogue with the local territory.
The Report illustrates the widespread involvement of our stakeholders through collaborative events and activities aimed at supporting underprivileged or differently abled people, as well as culture, sports, and the arts.
The cement plants are an integral and integrated part of the local territory and provide a venue for debates and meetings aimed at identifying feasible and tangible projects. 
The production units are also involved in educational projects: they host visits and training courses for students from schools and universities, with the objective of illustrating the production cycle, the techniques employed and the technological innovation. 
The creation and sharing of value continue to be the key principles underpinning the Company's activities, where the building of relationships based on trust is of primary importance in the synergic process of collective growth. 
 

Buzzi Unicem launches on the Italian and German markets the new product line called CGreen, a family of CO₂ efficient cements. 
In keeping with the sustainability policies that distinguish the company and with the aim of meeting the targets of the future ecological transition, CGreen marks the natural evolution of Buzzi Unicem's hydraulic binders, continuing in the footsteps of a long tradition of high-quality, high-performance products.
The CGreen line was developed by selecting suitable active additions, partially replacing clinker, optimizing grinding and mixing conditions and using new generation additives, at the same time keeping the required technical performance. 

"The ecological transition", explains Antonio Buzzi, Chief Operating Officer Cemento Italia, "calls for us to adapt our behaviors and actions in order to neutralize our carbon footprint: we all have a responsibility to reduce CO₂ emissions, which are considered a key factor in amplifying the greenhouse effect and, consequently, climate change. This transition, therefore, implies the partial or total redesign of production processes, distribution systems and consumption patterns, heralding the start of a potential industrial revolution and a change in our habits".
So, in order to meet this challenge and involve the entire supply chain, the company aims at innovation with a line of products duly selected and suited to contain their environmental footprint.

Starting from the Global Warming Potential (GWP) indicator, which indicates the carbon footprint of each individual binder, the Italian CGreen cements were reclassified and organized, highlighting through this new line those products with the best environmental performance. In addition, like all Buzzi Unicem's cements, the CGreen cements are also accompanied by Environmental Product Declarations, obtained through the EPD certification system, which guarantees full transparency and representativeness of the environmental performance of the product throughout its life cycle. 
CGreen will be the distinguishing trademark for low carbon footprint cements in all countries where the group operates. In particular today, Dyckerhoff ECO COMFORT and Dyckerhoff CEDUR cements, launched on the German market, join the CGreen family.

Dirk Beese, Managing Director Dyckerhoff GmbH: “The CGreen cements Dyckerhoff ECO COMFORT and CEDUR are our new cements with a carbon footprint up to 39% lower compared to standard Portland cements. These cements are our solution to the increasing demand for CO2 efficient cements in our markets.”
CGreen represents a further step towards the achievement of energy transition objectives, which the company pursues also by investing in projects for the reduction of all emissions and for the development of technologies aimed at capturing and re-using CO₂.

For more details on CGreen line products:

CGreen product line Italy 

CGreen Dyckerhoff Germany 

Italgas and Buzzi Unicem have signed an agreement for the development of a feasibility study on the implementation of Power to Gas plants in combination with Carbon Capture Systems at Buzzi Unicem's production plants.

The implementation of these technologies is aimed at promoting the decarbonization of cement and concrete production processes in order to increase environmental sustainability and facilitate the energy transition. In particular, the study will assess the possibility of producing and using, in the most suitable Buzzi Unicem plants, synthetic methane obtained from the combination of green hydrogen produced by the Power to Gas plants with part of the CO₂ released in the production processes.

The agreement leverages on the solid experience gained by Italgas with the development of a Power to Gas project in Sardinia to produce green hydrogen with the aim of testing its uses also in urban contexts, in public transport and in supplying local energy-intensive industries.

"We strongly believe in Power to Gas technology – Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas affirmed - and in its strategic contribution to the energy transition in terms of sector coupling. The production of hydrogen from renewable sources enables the use of gas networks in the dual function of carrier and energy storage asset, ensuring greater flexibility to the system. The agreement represents a great opportunity for us to take a further step forward in the study of innovative solutions and technological best practices. Therefore, we are pleased to share with Buzzi Unicem the know-how we have developed in the design of the Italgas P2G plant that will be built in Sardinia, creating the first technological showcase of the green hydrogen production chain in Italy".

Luigi Buzzi, Group Technical Director at Buzzi Unicem, confirms that "we are very interested in the opportunity to collaborate with Italgas as an experienced partner to develop a project that is fully integrated into our industrial investment plan aimed at identifying technologies for capturing and reusing the CO₂ released by our plants, in line with the roadmaps defined by industry associations.
Our aim is to responsibly contribute to containing climate change by developing CO₂ capture technologies and identifying the best solutions for its reuse. We are currently experimenting with Calcium Looping technology for capturing the carbon dioxide released by the production process at our plant in Vernasca (PC). Thanks to the EU Horizon 2020 project "CLEANKER" (CLEAN- clinKER), it will be possible to assess the technical and economic sustainability of this technology and estimate the changes to the plant and the investments required to adopt this process in existing cement plants.
We are ready to face the ecological transition with great determination and motivated to start the Power to Gas project with Italgas soon, hoping that this new technology can be adopted on a large scale in the future".

The key cement plant figures for 2020 are available, reported in individual brochures that can be downloaded from this link as well as obtainable in paper form during plant visits. 

The purpose is to inform our stakeholders about Buzzi Unicem production site activities from both a strictly operational standpoint as well as our presence within the community. More specifically, the data are organized into two main areas, namely the specific figures for each plant and the overall figures for the Group. 
The individual plant figures focus on the environment, employee accidents, events involving the plant and atmospheric emissions. 

The environmental data include the tons of recovered raw materials (circular economy), the kilowatt hours consumed to produce one ton of cementitious material, the megacalories used to produce one ton of clinker, and the environment and safety investments made during the 2018-2020 three-year period. With respect to the atmospheric emissions, we report the figures for dust, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. 

The overall Group figures include the key data for Buzzi Unicem S.p.A, the certifications obtained and the Group’s policies. 

The 2020 edition of Buzzi Unicem’s Sustainability report was presented today.

In addition to accurate reporting of economic, environmental and social indicators, the document also provides an update on objectives and targets, in line with the policies promoted by the company.

From an economic standpoint, the financial results show an improvement on the levels achieved in 2019 despite the difficulties related to the health emergency. The company hopes that both the vaccination plans and the economic stimulus announced by governments will strengthen demand for the sector and contribute to growth.

On the environmental level, the report illustrates the Group's commitment to reducing CO2 which in absolute value, in 2020, was down mainly due to a lower production of clinker and a lower use of electricity.

The year 2021 will be crucial for the definition of new targets for the reduction of CO₂ emissions in the medium term, while the goal of climate neutrality by 2050, already announced by Cembureau - the European Cement Manufacturers' Association - could also be confirmed by the end of the year by the global association GCCA (Global Cement and Concrete Association), of which Buzzi Unicem is a member. For the company this is a complex and stimulating challenge, which it does not want to shy away from.

Social performance highlights the results of good practices in terms of health and safety at work and confirms the downward trend in workplace accidents in recent years. In addition, in order to mitigate the problems related to the health emergency, the company has decided to help people in difficulty in the countries where the Group's plants operate by donating over € 3 million to provide tangible help, in collaboration with various non-profit organizations.

Lastly, the company noticed that interest in non-financial information is growing and thus reiterates its commitment to constantly improving the quality and level of detail of non-financial information.

The first edition of the 2020 Stakeholder Engagement Report aims to report on the many initiatives undertaken by Buzzi Unicem in favor of all stakeholders, mainly in the areas where the company operates.

The projects are part of the Stakeholder Engagement Policy and the intention is to highlight the constructive dialogue established over the years, sharing in a transparent manner the activities underway and the company's short and medium-term strategies.

The year 2020 was a difficult one, but despite everything we managed to strengthen our commitments to the community and establish new partnerships. The report identifies the main areas - social, cultural, educational and sports - on which it was deemed appropriate to focus, also on the basis of the needs expressed by the local communities.

In spite of the many difficulties that schools have had to face in recent months, School-Work activities have continued through the Webinar channel, which has been positively accepted and has become a consolidated practice for keeping in touch with the students.

Buzzi Unicem is fully aware of the importance of building and maintaining relationships of trust, based on mutual respect, active partnership, transparency and long-term collaboration with its stakeholders, in order to create shared value.

The Buzzi Unicem plant in Siniscola has launched on the market a new formulation of Portland cement CEM II/B-LL 32.5 R. The product, a result of the refinement of a formula already used in the past, uses zero-km limestone, considerably reducing CO2 emissions related to the transport of raw materials. The desire to emphasize the link with the local community and the safeguarding of the environment has led the company to make all employees aware of this initiative, involving them in an in-house communication project which has resulted in a competition with prizes. The goal of the competition was to give an original connotation to the new bag, introducing a slogan in the Sardinian language on the packaging, to give value to the relationship with the local community and the tradition of the island. The winning slogan "Lea a mie ca so sardu che a tie" (Buy me because I am Sardinian like you) was selected from the many proposals received because it effectively translated a sincere and genuine message and was printed on the front of the bag of the new CEM II/B-LL 32.5 R. Buzzi Unicem expressed its satisfaction for the participation in this initiative, which further confirms the company's policy in the field of sustainability and protection of local communities. The new cement sack CEM II/B-LL 32,5 R will soon be on the regional market and can be appreciated by all those who, while continuing to look at quality, also have an eye to new, more responsible solutions.

With reference to recent statements published in the press on recruitment criteria, Buzzi Unicem wishes to clarify that its commitment as a company is aimed at building solid and long-lasting relationships with institutions, associations and local communities, with a view to understanding their respective needs and - where possible - launching joint projects.

Our employees are a key asset for the success of the Company and that is why, consistent with the professional qualifications necessary for the achievement of our objectives, we privilege the hiring of new personnel coming from the territory in which we operate. However, the peculiarities of our industry require highly specialized technical and professional figures and, when not available in the territory of the City of Siniscola, the search is extended to neighboring areas.

We would also like to point out that the personnel currently employed at the Buzzi Unicem Plant mainly resides in the Municipality of Siniscola and that, between 2019 and 2021, 10 new employees, mostly from the Municipality of Siniscola or neighboring areas, have been added to the workforce with a staff-leasing contract. Most of them were recommended by local training institutes, with which the company is in contact, or have sent their applications independently.

The company's commitment to guaranteeing continuity of employment is constant, as demonstrated by the decision, defined at the beginning of 2021, to proceed - despite the complex historical period - with the direct hiring on an open-ended basis of 9 workers, already on temporary contracts, as of 1 March 2021.

In addition, in order to encourage the continuous development of skills among young residents, the company is regularly involved in local school-to-work projects, thus enhancing opportunities for matching labor supply and demand and transferring tangible skills and working knowledge to future generations.

The environmental reclamation program of the Siniscola Plant includes activities in the quarries of S'Ozzastru and Sas Funtanas, (Mont'Albo) as established by the cultivation project authorized by the Sardinia Region (Industry Assn. - Quarries and Mines Sector) and in collaboration with the reference bodies.

When the cultivation of a quarry step is completed, the plant personnel quickly proceed to the environmental reclamation activities, with the aim of re-establishing the natural and landscape conditions.

Recently, a number of projects have been launched, involving both the S'Ozzastru quarry, with the creation of a compensating wood in the locality of Tanca Altara, and the Sas Funtanas quarry, with its depleted limestone steps located at 545 meters above sea level.
In the S'Ozzastru quarry, on the occasion of the Festival of Science in Siniscola, a planting project was launched with the direct participation of a few classes from the Comprehensive Institute 1 of Siniscola and the Comprehensive Institute of Bitti. The school children play an active part in the program of dialogue with the territory that the Company has been carrying out for years.

In the quarry, 26 new holm oaks were planted along with 495 autochthonous plants that make up the Mediterranean maquis, such as rosemary, arbutus, cistus, phillyrea, myrtle, helichrysum, and broom plant. All the plants supplied by the nursery of the regional agency "Forestas".

In addition, an area of 4,500 m² was hydroseeded by the CNR ISPAAM of Sassari using selected seeds on the Montalbo.

All these measures, in addition to fulfilling the existing prescriptions, allow to mitigate the impact that any production activity inevitably has on the territory and create in time new naturalistic areas of high quality and biodiversity.