Sources: Cemex S.A.B. de C.V., Monterrey, Mexico; CP staff
Cemex ranks 18 on the Fortune 2017 Change the World List of 50 companies world wide that have had positive social impact through activities central to their core business strategies. The magazine recognized the producer’s efforts to foster sustainable building practices through the “Growing” platform, which encompasses social and inclusive businesses geared to fighting poverty, low quality education, unhealthy homes, unemployment, poor access to financial aid, and lack of civic participation. By 2016, they had netted affordable and dignified housing to 3 million-plus in Latin America.
“[The] platform has enabled us to work across our value chain with governments, micro-finance entities, low-income communities, and social entrepreneurs to build over 4 million square meters of livable space,” affirms Cemex CEO Fernando Gonzalez.
Fortune assembled the 2017 Change the World List with the help of the non-profit consulting firm FSG and its Shared Value Initiative organization. Researcher selected companies on these criteria: measurable social impact; business result in terms of profitability of the socially impactful work; and, degree of innovation. Cemex joined J.P. Morgan Chase, Apple Inc., Walmart, Johnson & Johnson and Toyota Motor among the top 20 Change the World companies. Others linked to construction on this year’s ranking are CH2MHill and Grohe.