The Imerys group is committed to Sustainable Development. This is not only a goal in itself but is also a means to fulfilling our responsibilities toward our employees, our shareholders, our communities and the environment. This policy is backed up by extensive training and considerable investment.
Site restoration
Site restoration is an integral part of Imerys's activities and it is taken into account at the earliest stages of planning. During the life of a mine we phase the restoration of the land then once mining activities cease, the land is used for other purposes such as recreational areas, nature sanctuaries, agricultural production.
Sustainable Development report & recognition
As part of the Imerys group our efforts encompass six action areas: Environment, Health & Safety, Human Resources, Communities, Innovation and Corporate Governance.
The current Sustainable Development report provides detailed information on the group's performance and initiatives within the six action areas. Imerys' efforts have been recognised by inclusion into the following:
- The FTSE4Good Index Series which has strict criteria for corporate, social and environmental responsibility
- ASPI Eurozone®, the European index, which lists the best performing of the 120 Eurozone companies in terms of their social and environmental achievements
- The Ethibel EXCELLENCE Investment Register which lists companies based on assessment of all aspects of sustainable business
Imerys Ceramics
In Cornwall, for instance, Imerys' heathland and woodland restoration projects have been recognised with awards including the prestigious Flora Locale award for its heathland project. This recognised the contribution that the project had made to biodiversity using local native flora.
The ball clay operation participates in a climate change agreement with the UK government, whereby Imerys pays only 20% of the Climate Change Levy in return for a commitment to improve its energy efficiency by 1% annually.
A few examples of Imerys Ceramics in action:
