Cemex Zement GmbH publishes Environmental Statement 2020 according to EMAS
Since 2000, the Rüdersdorf cement plant has been voluntarily certified according to the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). A prerequisite is the regular provision of information to the public. Cemex Zement GmbH documents its environmental commitment in the recently published Environmental Statement 2020 in accordance with the EMAS requirements.
What progress can the Rüdersdorf cement plant demonstrate in operational environmental protection? What do the employees do to keep the air clean, where do they save energy, how do they conserve resources? Interested parties can find out in the consolidated Environmental Statement 2020 of Cemex Zement GmbH, published in January 2022, on 74 informative and attractively designed pages. An EMAS environmental verifier from TÜV NORD CERT Umweltgutachter GmbH has checked and certified the Environmental Statement 2020 according to the EMAS criteria. It includes the data for the entire year 2020 and has now been published following expert validation in autumn 2021.
The brochure provides comprehensive information on the site, the products and the manufacturing process. It reflects Cemex’s understanding of sustainable development, and also describes the environmental impact of the operation and its current environmental performance. In addition, it provides an overview of key environmental aspects, environmental indicators and corporate environmental protection projects. A special focus of the current issue is on the reduction of CO2 emissions, climate protection and sustainability issues.
“We can report an important success in the conservation of conventional fuels. Since the end of 2019, we have been authorised to cover the entire heat requirement of the clinker burning process with secondary fuels. In the first step, we want to increase the rate to 85% and then to 100% in the long term,” explains Ron Tauber, Manager Sustainability Germany and Czech Republic and Coordinator Materials Central Europe. The increase in the alternative fuel rate is currently being prepared. The Rüdersdorf cement plant primarily uses alternative fuels, which are produced from processed waste and residual materials. As alternative fuels, they are thermally utilised in the clinker burning process with a high degree of efficiency. This conserves natural resources and significantly reduces CO2 emissions compared to the use of conventional fuels.
Examples of projects that benefit biodiversity are the flowering meadow that the company has created on the company premises and the bee project: For several years, Cemex Zement GmbH has always opened its opencast mine in spring to the bee colonies of a hobby beekeeper, which pollinate many plants.
The regular publication of a comprehensive environmental statement is part of Cemex Zement GmbH’s voluntary commitment within the framework of the European Union’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). The EMAS system supports companies in structured environmental management. It commits to a continuous improvement process and regular audits by accredited external experts.
“We introduced the environmental management system according to EMAS as early as April 2000. This made our cement plant the first in Germany. EMAS helps us every day to achieve the strict environmental standards that apply in this country and to ensure an exemplary level of environmental protection at the Rüdersdorf location,” explains Stefan Schmorleiz, Managing Director of Cemex Zement GmbH and plant manager of the Rüdersdorf cement plant.
Cemex Zement GmbH will issue the next consolidated environmental statement for its Rüdersdorf cement plant at the end of 2024. In addition, the company produces an updated Environmental Statement every year.
