WBCSD and key cement producers launch Indian roadmap

Major companies from the cement sector and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) launched the ‘Indian Cement Sector SDG Roadmap’ on 25 June at an event organised by WBCSD and UN Global Compact Network India.

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a universal framework that establishes a collective pathway for humanity to achieve prosperity for people and planet on the road to 2030. While governments have universally resolved to implement the SDGs, ultimately the transformative ambitions of these Goals cannot be realised without strong private sector engagement.

The Indian cement sector has embraced these recommendations and has launched its SDG Roadmap to explore, articulate and help implement the potential of the sector to contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through an integrated approach that recognises material sectoral challenges and opportunities to meet societal needs.

This initiative represents the first country-level roadmap and has been convened by nine leading cement companies: ACC, Ambuja Cement, CRH, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd, HeidelbergCement Shree Cement, Orient Cement, UltraTech Cement as well as Votorantim Cimentos and partially funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).    

“I congratulate WBCSD for having convened and supported the effort to create a roadmap on SDG implementation for the cement sector in India. I am certain that this will have far-reaching impact for the sector, the associated value chain, the nation and the world. I hope that other sectors shall follow the example set by the cement industry and work towards creating similar sector-specific roadmaps for their respective operations” said Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog, the Indian government think tank established to achieve the SDGs.