Cemex works with UN to spearhead progress on Sustainable Development Goals

These efforts include Cemex’s participation in the UN’s Forward Faster initiative as an early mover in the building materials sector and co-leading the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Supplier Impact Program.

Cemex is among the first companies to join Forward Faster, an initiative that aims to bring businesses together to accelerate their contribution to society in five action areas —gender equality, climate action, living wage, finance & investment, and water resilience. The UN Global Compact focused on these areas where the business sector can uniquely and powerfully drive progress across all 17 SDGs. Participants will each choose public targets in one of the action areas. Cemex was invited to join due to its “leadership on Sustainable Finance, Just Transition, Climate, and other issues.” Forward Faster officially launched on September 18, during the UN General Assembly week.

“Our company is committed to building a better future, one that is more sustainable, circular, and creates a supportive environment for people to thrive,” said Fernando González, CEO of Cemex, who participated in a panel during the UN Private Sector Forum, an event hosted annually by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) on behalf of the UN Secretary-General that brings the voice of business to the UN through leading CEOs and investors, heads of states and governments, and civil society representatives. “The SDGs provide a great blueprint to effect this change, but progress is not happening fast enough. The public and private sectors must join to map an equitable transition to the sustainable world of tomorrow.”

Cemex is leading the UNGC Sustainable Supplier Impact Program. The program aims to increase the contribution to sustainable development of small and medium enterprises in Cemex’s supply chain. From April to August of this year, over 100 of Cemex’s suppliers came together to learn about the UNGC’s ten principles, identify gaps, and build action plans to close them.

The UN’s SDGs provide “a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” Cemex is focused on four priority SDGs: (9) Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production, and (13) Climate Action.