We strive to be responsible and ethical, providing good returns to our shareholder owners and safe and satisfying high performing workplaces for our employees.
We are also committed to acting responsibly and working closely with our neighbours and local communities to make sure we are accepted as good citizens. As with most companies, it is the communities in which we operate that provide us with the right to do business.
Our support
Supporting the local communities in which we live and operate is core to Holcim's ethical and philanthropic principles.
Each year, Holcim makes financial donations to community projects, educational activities and charitable institutions. In addition, Holcim businesses make numerous contributions to local communities and charitable organisations by supplying construction materials while our people contribute their time and labour.
Community based activities
Through open house days, site tours, community-based events like tree planting and educational/community partnerships, we aim to build strong relations with our communities.
In Australia, Holcim also partners with the Beacon Foundation and Technical Aid to the Disabled (TAD).
The Beacon Foundation
We support the Beacon Foundation, which develops innovative approaches to resolve the problem of youth unemployment. Beacon works closely with communities: organising career workshops, encouraging mentoring programs, demonstrating practical solutions and even creating new enterprises. Communities are encouraged to see youth unemployment as their issue, to take responsibility and create solutions for young people, including long-lasting, sustainable jobs.
Beacon is currently working with many schools around Australia. Holcim takes an active role in providing support for the students who take part in Beacon's programs.
Quarrying and the community
The quarry industry provides basic materials for the community including raw material for essential construction products. These products help to build schools, hospitals, roads, bridges airports and other infrastructure as well as commercial buildings - all necessary for our communities to function. Holcim focuses on community and environmental concerns both during and after its quarrying operations. We recognise that it is important to work in partnership with our neighbours. And good management requires that quarries must be operated in such a way that they may be effectively restored when quarrying is finished.
Holcim - like similar companies - is required by legislation to restore its land after quarrying and other use. We operate systems to ensure all our operations abide by all legal requirements including ensuring that the local ecosystem is protected, that nearby water supplies are not contaminated and that noise, dust and other pollutants are minimised. Community expectations often exceed these requirements and Holcim strives to meet this need.