In the presence of the Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Gianni Letta, the CEO of Italcementi Group Carlo Pesenti and the Minister of the Environment Stefania Prestigiacomo signed a voluntary agreement between the company and the Ministry, called the "Environmental Protection Pact".
Within the framework of similar agreements signed between the Ministry and ten of the major Italian companies, this agreement provides for a programmatic investment initiative by Italcementi and its subsidiary company Italgen entailing actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and boosting the production of energy from renewable sources.

“Back in 2007 - says Carlo Pesenti – we had proposed a ‘Pact for the Environment’ between businesses and institutions in order to take structural measures vis-à-vis the conversion of industrial plants. The goal was, and still is, to improve the environmental efficiency of production processes in combination with more streamlined authorization procedures. The agreement signed today is a first step in this direction."

Italcementi investment plan, estimated at around 510 million Euro, distinguishes three specific types of action to be implemented by 2013 on the condition that all relevant permits and administrative approvals are granted:

• Revamping of hydroelectric energy production plants to maintain the installed capacity and construction of photovoltaic solar plants
• Technological actions to replace part of the fossil fuels used in cement  manufacturing plants with waste-derived fuels 
• Revamping of some of the cement manufacturing plants to increase energy and environmental efficiency of production units

With the implementation of the agreement, significant environmental benefits are expected:

• Reduction of CO2 emissions by roughly  760 kt/year 
• Energy saving on fossil fuels of about 260 ktep/year

In order to facilitate and monitor the correct implementation of the agreement, the Pact between the Ministry of the Environment and Italcementi provides for the establishment of a Ministry-appointed Committee composed of members of the Ministry of the Environment and representatives of Italcementi Group. The duties and responsibilities of said Committee will include:

• Submitting to the Minister a detailed annual report providing details on the implementation of the programme and the environmental benefits achieved;
• Identifying solutions to critical issues that may be encountered during the authorization process and promoting faster implementation of actions as planned; 
• Facilitating dialogue and co-operation with Regional Authorities and territorial agencies by presenting special reports and technical documentation.

"The agreement signed today - concludes Mr. Pesenti - is a further confirmation of our commitment to sustainable development, a long-established goal of Italcementi Group’s strategies”.