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About Us OUR APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY With their support and guidance, we will be empowering our communities and promoting sustainable growth and well-being for all. The world expects every business to not only manage its own sustainability issues, but also help society manage its wider issues. The social and environmental challenges facing the world are more critical than ever. The newly adopted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate (COP21) create new frameworks of action for all, including regulators, companies and citizens. Massimo Bettanin Head of Sustainability The Cement industry has a large ecological footprint because of its significant use of natural resources such as limestone and fuel. The industry is second only to power generation in the production of CO2. Whilst the cement industry plays a significant role in terms of economic and social relevance, largely by its inherent nature to build and improve infrastructure, progressive cement companies are recognising that to remain competitive in the future, they must combine sound financial performance with a commitment to social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and economic responsibility. These three dimensions are referred to as the “triple bottom line” of Sustainable Development (SD). As the global population rises and urban infrastructure expands, building sustainable cities is both a challenge and a priority. As the leading cement producer in Africa, we have the power to make a real impact through innovative services, interventions and solutions. To do this, every one of us at Dangote Cement is committed to making it a priority to share our sustainability journey, goals, programmes and initiatives with all stakeholders and employees, including our Board of Directors. Our approach Our approach to sustainability issues is informed by an extensive process of both internal and external consultation and a deep analysis of the major global societal challenges where we can have a significant contribution. Anchored on three main objectives under Occupational Health and Safety, Social Investment, and Environmental Care, (HSSE), we are positioned to implement policies to manage our approach to these important activities of our businesses. Sustainability is regarded as a strategic priority for achieving our longterm business objectives. Although we have already achieved some goals with our HSSE programme, we are constantly working to enhance the HSSE performance of our activities to attain a comparative edge against other international conglomerates of our size. Dangote Cement is committed to adopting the International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability, which were published in 2012. The Performance Standards define roles and responsibilities for managing projects and requirements for IFC support. We are embracing these principles and are convinced that a focus on sustainability will support our business strategy. We aim to lead on sustainability issues and set new standards as we help transform the way our industry works and encourage Africa’s building and construction sector to play its part in addressing our planet’s biggest issues. Annual Report 2016 41

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