Explanatory list of terms

A
W
A
B
G
C
D
S
E
F
I
J
R
A
M
E
I
P
R
S
C
S
A
H
I
L
Q
K
M
E
O
P
E
S
U
C
P
S
N
S
D
C
P
W

Additional indicators

Additional indicators are the Indicators which are identified in the GRI Directives and which describe a practice or consider objects which are essential for some organisations, but generally not for the majority.

Alternative fuel

Waste from different industrial processes which, due to the high heat release potential and the low level of polluting substances, can be used as a partial replacement for other fuels in certain combustion processes.

Alternative raw materials

Bi-products (for example, granulates) which can be reused in production processes instead of other raw materials.

Atmospheric emissions

All solid, liquid or gaseous substances released into the atmosphere by industry, heating systems in residential areas, transport systems (i.e. cars, aircraft ) and which could cause atmospheric pollution.

Air pollution

Air pollution is emitted from many different sources such as factories, power stations, dry cleaners, cars, buses, trucks, and even the dust raised by the wind and non-extinguished fires. Air pollution can threaten the health of humans, trees, lakes, plants and animals as well as damage the ozone layer and buildings. Air pollution can also cause fog, reducing visibility in national parks and dessert areas.

Acid rain

Acid rain is a serious environmental problem which affects large areas of the United States and Canada. Acid rain is particularly damaging to lakes, rivers and forest and the plants and animals living in those ecosystems.

Waste

According to the Legislative Regulation 152/06, waste is any substance or object that falls under the categories described in the appendix to the regulation which the holder disposes of himself or which he has decided or he is obliged to dispose of. Depending on its origin, waste is classified as municipal waste or as special waste and, depending on its characteristics, as hazardous or non-hazardous waste.

Waste water

Waste water which results from industrial activities or household waste. Waste water can also be released into the environment after been treated in an appropriate manner.

Watt (W)

Unit of measure of capacity in the International System; 1 watt equals the performance figure of one joule of work per second of time.

Additional indicators

Additional indicators are the Indicators which are identified in the GRI Directives and which describe a practice or consider objects which are essential for some organisations, but generally not for the majority.

Alternative fuel

Waste from different industrial processes which, due to the high heat release potential and the low level of polluting substances, can be used as a partial replacement for other fuels in certain combustion processes.

Alternative raw materials

Bi-products (for example, granulates) which can be reused in production processes instead of other raw materials.

Atmospheric emissions

All solid, liquid or gaseous substances released into the atmosphere by industry, heating systems in residential areas, transport systems (i.e. cars, aircraft ) and which could cause atmospheric pollution.

Air pollution

Air pollution is emitted from many different sources such as factories, power stations, dry cleaners, cars, buses, trucks, and even the dust raised by the wind and non-extinguished fires. Air pollution can threaten the health of humans, trees, lakes, plants and animals as well as damage the ozone layer and buildings. Air pollution can also cause fog, reducing visibility in national parks and dessert areas.

Acid rain

Acid rain is a serious environmental problem which affects large areas of the United States and Canada. Acid rain is particularly damaging to lakes, rivers and forest and the plants and animals living in those ecosystems.

Biodiversity

Variety of organisms which live in an environment, which is the result of the process of evolution and that serves as guarantee of the stability of an environment and an indicator of its ecological value.

BREF

Best Available Techniques. Vertical BATs describe the best available techniques for a certain industry. Horizontal BAT describe the best available techniques for certain processes which are used in several sectors.

Greenhouse effect

The physical phenomenon which is imprisoned in the atmospheric part of the energy of the earth’s surface, and that would otherwise dissipate in space. The effect depends on the presence of various gases in the atmosphere (the so-called greenhouse gases): carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (N2O), methane (CH4), ozone (O3), perfluorocarbon (PFCs), hydro-fluoro-carbons (HFCs), sulphur hexa-fluoride (SF6) and helps to maintain the ideal temperature on earth. Anthropic activities can lead to an increase of the presence of these gases and in combination create the greenhouse gas effect, which in turn leads to climate change in the mid to long-term.

Control and monitoring

All activities which are carried out in order to quantify the parameters which give an indication of environmental quality (for example, air, water, subsoil).

Combustion cycle

A phase in cement production in which raw meal is burnt at extremely high temperatures in enormous cylindrical furnaces. It is the phase which requires most thermal energy and electricity and enormous quantities of air and water and during which chemical and physical reactions occur in the treated materials.

Crushing

An industrial process which covers the crushing of all types of solid materials, whereby they are reduced to micron-sized powder, grains or a semi-liquid paste.

Combustion

Chemical reaction of a fuel with flammable material, which often produces carbon oxides, water vapour and thermal energy.

Decibel (dB)

The measure of the intensity of an acoustic oscillation or of the sensory perception of the ears.

Dioxins

Dioxins are a class of organic aromatic chlorine compounds. Dioxins are very unreactive due to their high molecular weight and are fat soluble. Due to these properties, they tend to be absorbed into living tissues. Laboratory experiments on animals show that dioxins are one of the most toxic anthropic compounds.

Dust

Dust is the generic term for a material which is formed by minuscule particles with a diameter of 0.25 – 500 µm. Dust which floats in the air (atmospheric dust) has an important effect on the climate, the development of radioactivity and on human health.

Sustainable development

The World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD) in its 1987 report Our Common Future defines sustainable development as "development which fulfils the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainable development is a form of development (including the economy, cities, communities, etc) which does not compromise the ability of future generations to develop, by preserving the quality and range of their heritage and natural resources (which are not inexhaustible, while resources are considered to be inexhaustible). The goal is to maintain economic development which can be combined with social equality and ecosystems and therefore functions in a system of environmental balance.

Slag

Granulated slag from the steel processing industry (granulated blast furnace slag) is composed of complex aluminium, calcium and magnesium silicates and small quantities of manganese and iron oxides and calcium sulphate. It is used as an additive to clinker rocks in the production of cement due to its hydraulic properties.

Stone quarry

A stone quarry is a deposit or an area of land which contains raw materials which can be exploited for industrial purposes. A stone quarry is distinguished from a mine by the type of materials extracted. Category 2 materials are extracted from stone quarries (for example, limestone, clay, gravel, sand). Limestone, for example, belongs to this category of materials and is extracted from stone quarries.

SHE

Safety, Health & Environment.

Sewage slurry

Sewage slurry arises from purified municipal waste water. The European Waste Catalogue, which was implemented by the Communal Decision 2000/532/CE, classifies sewage slurry as non-hazardous waste, in other words, it is not polluted by substances which can be hazardous to humans or the environment. It can be disposed of in three ways: by using it for agricultural purposes after it has been composted, by discharge, or by recycling it as an energy source in clinker stone furnaces as cement.

Sector supplement

Sector supplements supplement the Directives with interpretations and guidance about how the Directives must be applied in a given sector, including sector-specific Performance Indicators. Applicable sector supplements must be adhered to in addition to the Directives, rather than in place of the Directives.

Stakeholders

Parties which have an interest of any kind in the company and which interact in its activities, contribute to the company's results, affect its performance and evaluate its economic, social and environmental effects.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

A gas which is present in emissions as a result of the use of fuels containing sulphur, normally originating from petroleum and coal.

Standard publications

There are three types of standard publication: Strategy and profile announcements which provide the general context for reporting and aid understanding of organisational performance. Announcements concerning the management approach with regard to how an organisation approaches a given set of subjects to create a context to aid understanding of performance in a specific area, and performance indicators which highlight comparable information about the organisation's economic, environmental and social performance. The Directives bring to the fore subjects and information for reporting which are essential for most organisations and are of importance for most stakeholders.

Eco-friendly

A characteristic which is the result of processes which aim at minimising the negative impacts of industries. It also refers to human responsibility and actions concerning the environment and its value.

Ecosystem

Basic ecological unit comprised of all animal and plant organisms which form a specific ecological environment.

Emissions trading

A “flexible” instrument on the basis of which the market for emission permits is established between countries which are bound to the Kyoto Protocol in order to achieve the targets set for emissions reductions. It enables companies to obtain emissions permits from other companies which are also bound by the emissions reduction requirements.

Emissions

Discharges of all solid, liquid or gaseous substances which find their way directly into the ecosystem and which can have direct or indirect impact on the environment.

Energy saving

The effect of measures taken by energy producers and users in order to limit energy loss by improving energy efficiency (obtaining the same product with less energy) and by engaging the most suitable source of energy for the required end-use.

Environmental management system

This is a component of a comprehensive company management system, which includes organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for the development, implementation, completion, evaluation and maintenance of an environmental policy.

Environment

All chemical and physical characteristic (abiotic factors) of the connection in which an organism exists or a company functions. In its entirety, the environment includes the air, the water, the soil and the natural minerals, the flora, the fauna and their mutual relations.

Environmental certification

Certificate which is issued by external auditors as certification of the Environmental Management Systems deployed throughout the production site. Environmental certification can relate to international standards (ISO 14001) or to European EMAS Regulation standards.

Environmental recovery

Action aimed at the recovery of a specific area as near as possible to its original condition before human intervention. It also means re-establishing the geomorphology taking account of the surface hydrology and the reintroduction of previously existing trees.

Exposure profile

The numbered information – requirements in Part 2 of the Directives which indicate the general context for reporting and understanding the organisation's performance.

Fossil fuel

Produced by the transformation undergone by large forests which were buried millions of years ago. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum and natural gas.

Indicator aspects

The general types of information which are concerned with a specific category of indicator (for example, energy use, child labour, customers).

Impact on the environment

Every positive or negative, full or partial change introduced in the environment as a result of treatments, products or services which are connected to a certain activity.

Independent member of the Board of Directors

Definitions of ‘independent’ may vary between legal fields of application. Usually, ‘independent’ implies that the member has no financial interest in the organisation, or other potential benefit which could create a conflict of interests. Organisations which employ the Directives must indicate the definition they apply to 'independent'.

Indicator

Every informative parameter which represents a complex phenomenon in a concise and direct manner.

Indicator categories

Groups of sustainability topics or broad areas. The categories which are included in the GRI directives are economic, environmental and social directives. For example, the social group is characterised in terms of Work Practices, Human Rights, Social and Product Responsibility. A given category can have different indicator aspects.

Internal control

Company function which provides independent advice and executes control in order to evaluate the suitability of a company's internal control system.

ISO 14000

A series of environmental management and life cycle analysis standards issued by ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) since 1996. These standards are one of the reference points provided to companies wishing to implement environmental management systems for their production activities.

ISO 9001

Voluntary international standard issued by ISO in 1987 concerning quality management system requirements for organisations, independent of sector or scale. The current edition, following the first version in 1994, is also known as ‘Vision 2000’.

Joule (J)

Unit of measure of energy and work in the International System which is equal to the work of the force of 1 Newton if the point of application is pushed one meter in the direction of the force.

Ready-mix concrete

Construction material obtained by mixing inert materials (sand, gravel, stone chips) with a binding agent (chalk or cement) in the presence of water and additives. It is used in all sectors of the construction industry, in particular for load-bearing structures and paving, and is often strengthened with metal (reinforced concrete).

Reporting principle

Concepts which describe the findings which a report should achieve and which guide decisions which are taken throughout the entire reporting process, such as which indicators must be acted upon and what the response must be.

Additional indicators

Additional indicators are the Indicators which are identified in the GRI Directives and which describe a practice or consider objects which are essential for some organisations, but generally not for the majority.

Alternative fuel

Waste from different industrial processes which, due to the high heat release potential and the low level of polluting substances, can be used as a partial replacement for other fuels in certain combustion processes.

Alternative raw materials

Bi-products (for example, granulates) which can be reused in production processes instead of other raw materials.

Atmospheric emissions

All solid, liquid or gaseous substances released into the atmosphere by industry, heating systems in residential areas, transport systems (i.e. cars, aircraft ) and which could cause atmospheric pollution.

Air pollution

Air pollution is emitted from many different sources such as factories, power stations, dry cleaners, cars, buses, trucks, and even the dust raised by the wind and non-extinguished fires. Air pollution can threaten the health of humans, trees, lakes, plants and animals as well as damage the ozone layer and buildings. Air pollution can also cause fog, reducing visibility in national parks and dessert areas.

Acid rain

Acid rain is a serious environmental problem which affects large areas of the United States and Canada. Acid rain is particularly damaging to lakes, rivers and forest and the plants and animals living in those ecosystems.

Methane (CH4)

Fossil fuel. Although incorrect, the term is often used for natural gas, of which methane is the principal component.

Meal

Product obtained by milling raw materials, which are measured and added to other elements in the manner indicated. It is placed in a furnace where it is transformed into clinker stone after cooling and sintering.

Marl

Very fine yellow-grey sedimentary rock formed from limestone and clay. It is used in exactly formulated proportions in order to prepare cement and hydraulic limestone.

mg/Nm3

Unit of measure of the concentration which is used for atmospheric pollution macros; it is an indication of the level in milligrams of substances present in a cubic meter of air under normal circumstances (temperature 0°C and 1.013 bar pressure)

Mine

A mine is distinguished from a quarry by the type of materials extracted. Category 1 materials are extracted from mines (e.g. cement marl).

Eco-friendly

A characteristic which is the result of processes which aim at minimising the negative impacts of industries. It also refers to human responsibility and actions concerning the environment and its value.

Ecosystem

Basic ecological unit comprised of all animal and plant organisms which form a specific ecological environment.

Emissions trading

A “flexible” instrument on the basis of which the market for emission permits is established between countries which are bound to the Kyoto Protocol in order to achieve the targets set for emissions reductions. It enables companies to obtain emissions permits from other companies which are also bound by the emissions reduction requirements.

Emissions

Discharges of all solid, liquid or gaseous substances which find their way directly into the ecosystem and which can have direct or indirect impact on the environment.

Energy saving

The effect of measures taken by energy producers and users in order to limit energy loss by improving energy efficiency (obtaining the same product with less energy) and by engaging the most suitable source of energy for the required end-use.

Environmental management system

This is a component of a comprehensive company management system, which includes organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for the development, implementation, completion, evaluation and maintenance of an environmental policy.

Environment

All chemical and physical characteristic (abiotic factors) of the connection in which an organism exists or a company functions. In its entirety, the environment includes the air, the water, the soil and the natural minerals, the flora, the fauna and their mutual relations.

Environmental certification

Certificate which is issued by external auditors as certification of the Environmental Management Systems deployed throughout the production site. Environmental certification can relate to international standards (ISO 14001) or to European EMAS Regulation standards.

Environmental recovery

Action aimed at the recovery of a specific area as near as possible to its original condition before human intervention. It also means re-establishing the geomorphology taking account of the surface hydrology and the reintroduction of previously existing trees.

Exposure profile

The numbered information – requirements in Part 2 of the Directives which indicate the general context for reporting and understanding the organisation's performance.

Indicator aspects

The general types of information which are concerned with a specific category of indicator (for example, energy use, child labour, customers).

Impact on the environment

Every positive or negative, full or partial change introduced in the environment as a result of treatments, products or services which are connected to a certain activity.

Independent member of the Board of Directors

Definitions of ‘independent’ may vary between legal fields of application. Usually, ‘independent’ implies that the member has no financial interest in the organisation, or other potential benefit which could create a conflict of interests. Organisations which employ the Directives must indicate the definition they apply to 'independent'.

Indicator

Every informative parameter which represents a complex phenomenon in a concise and direct manner.

Indicator categories

Groups of sustainability topics or broad areas. The categories which are included in the GRI directives are economic, environmental and social directives. For example, the social group is characterised in terms of Work Practices, Human Rights, Social and Product Responsibility. A given category can have different indicator aspects.

Internal control

Company function which provides independent advice and executes control in order to evaluate the suitability of a company's internal control system.

ISO 14000

A series of environmental management and life cycle analysis standards issued by ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) since 1996. These standards are one of the reference points provided to companies wishing to implement environmental management systems for their production activities.

ISO 9001

Voluntary international standard issued by ISO in 1987 concerning quality management system requirements for organisations, independent of sector or scale. The current edition, following the first version in 1994, is also known as ‘Vision 2000’.

Performance indicator

Comparative quantitative or qualitative information concerning results or findings which arise in connection with the organisation and which demonstrates changes over time.

Planting

Process that usually follows on from sowing or hydro-seeding and is composed of the spreading out of medium to tall residual plants, bushes and trees in soils which have already been prepared.

Portland Cement Equivalent (PCe)

Portland Cement Equivalent (PCe) is a factor which is used in order to calculate the equivalent cement tonnage if the material which has already been produced in the cement production process (clinker stone) were milled in order to produce cement.

Pre-mixed

Cement products, mainly bricklaying cements, composed of cement mixtures and aggregates, mixed and packaged in the appropriate proportions for use in specific applications such as internal or external finishing works, in order to finish the building work.

Pollution

Changes to the physical, chemical and biological properties of a balanced environment by human activities. Pollution may relate to the ground, water and air. Pollution is also a change in the material cycle and the energy flow of ecosystems. In particular, atmospheric pollution consists of the presence of substances in the air in higher concentrations than the minimum threshold value which is considered as non-hazardous. And which can reduce the physiological well-being of mankind and can be detrimental to animal life, plant life and objects. Cross-border pollution is caused by pollution emissions which extend beyond national borders.

Ready-mix concrete

Construction material obtained by mixing inert materials (sand, gravel, stone chips) with a binding agent (chalk or cement) in the presence of water and additives. It is used in all sectors of the construction industry, in particular for load-bearing structures and paving, and is often strengthened with metal (reinforced concrete).

Reporting principle

Concepts which describe the findings which a report should achieve and which guide decisions which are taken throughout the entire reporting process, such as which indicators must be acted upon and what the response must be.

Sustainable development

The World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD) in its 1987 report Our Common Future defines sustainable development as "development which fulfils the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainable development is a form of development (including the economy, cities, communities, etc) which does not compromise the ability of future generations to develop, by preserving the quality and range of their heritage and natural resources (which are not inexhaustible, while resources are considered to be inexhaustible). The goal is to maintain economic development which can be combined with social equality and ecosystems and therefore functions in a system of environmental balance.

Slag

Granulated slag from the steel processing industry (granulated blast furnace slag) is composed of complex aluminium, calcium and magnesium silicates and small quantities of manganese and iron oxides and calcium sulphate. It is used as an additive to clinker rocks in the production of cement due to its hydraulic properties.

Stone quarry

A stone quarry is a deposit or an area of land which contains raw materials which can be exploited for industrial purposes. A stone quarry is distinguished from a mine by the type of materials extracted. Category 2 materials are extracted from stone quarries (for example, limestone, clay, gravel, sand). Limestone, for example, belongs to this category of materials and is extracted from stone quarries.

SHE

Safety, Health & Environment.

Sewage slurry

Sewage slurry arises from purified municipal waste water. The European Waste Catalogue, which was implemented by the Communal Decision 2000/532/CE, classifies sewage slurry as non-hazardous waste, in other words, it is not polluted by substances which can be hazardous to humans or the environment. It can be disposed of in three ways: by using it for agricultural purposes after it has been composted, by discharge, or by recycling it as an energy source in clinker stone furnaces as cement.

Sector supplement

Sector supplements supplement the Directives with interpretations and guidance about how the Directives must be applied in a given sector, including sector-specific Performance Indicators. Applicable sector supplements must be adhered to in addition to the Directives, rather than in place of the Directives.

Stakeholders

Parties which have an interest of any kind in the company and which interact in its activities, contribute to the company's results, affect its performance and evaluate its economic, social and environmental effects.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

A gas which is present in emissions as a result of the use of fuels containing sulphur, normally originating from petroleum and coal.

Standard publications

There are three types of standard publication: Strategy and profile announcements which provide the general context for reporting and aid understanding of organisational performance. Announcements concerning the management approach with regard to how an organisation approaches a given set of subjects to create a context to aid understanding of performance in a specific area, and performance indicators which highlight comparable information about the organisation's economic, environmental and social performance. The Directives bring to the fore subjects and information for reporting which are essential for most organisations and are of importance for most stakeholders.

Control and monitoring

All activities which are carried out in order to quantify the parameters which give an indication of environmental quality (for example, air, water, subsoil).

Combustion cycle

A phase in cement production in which raw meal is burnt at extremely high temperatures in enormous cylindrical furnaces. It is the phase which requires most thermal energy and electricity and enormous quantities of air and water and during which chemical and physical reactions occur in the treated materials.

Crushing

An industrial process which covers the crushing of all types of solid materials, whereby they are reduced to micron-sized powder, grains or a semi-liquid paste.

Combustion

Chemical reaction of a fuel with flammable material, which often produces carbon oxides, water vapour and thermal energy.

Sustainable development

The World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD) in its 1987 report Our Common Future defines sustainable development as "development which fulfils the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainable development is a form of development (including the economy, cities, communities, etc) which does not compromise the ability of future generations to develop, by preserving the quality and range of their heritage and natural resources (which are not inexhaustible, while resources are considered to be inexhaustible). The goal is to maintain economic development which can be combined with social equality and ecosystems and therefore functions in a system of environmental balance.

Slag

Granulated slag from the steel processing industry (granulated blast furnace slag) is composed of complex aluminium, calcium and magnesium silicates and small quantities of manganese and iron oxides and calcium sulphate. It is used as an additive to clinker rocks in the production of cement due to its hydraulic properties.

Stone quarry

A stone quarry is a deposit or an area of land which contains raw materials which can be exploited for industrial purposes. A stone quarry is distinguished from a mine by the type of materials extracted. Category 2 materials are extracted from stone quarries (for example, limestone, clay, gravel, sand). Limestone, for example, belongs to this category of materials and is extracted from stone quarries.

SHE

Safety, Health & Environment.

Sewage slurry

Sewage slurry arises from purified municipal waste water. The European Waste Catalogue, which was implemented by the Communal Decision 2000/532/CE, classifies sewage slurry as non-hazardous waste, in other words, it is not polluted by substances which can be hazardous to humans or the environment. It can be disposed of in three ways: by using it for agricultural purposes after it has been composted, by discharge, or by recycling it as an energy source in clinker stone furnaces as cement.

Sector supplement

Sector supplements supplement the Directives with interpretations and guidance about how the Directives must be applied in a given sector, including sector-specific Performance Indicators. Applicable sector supplements must be adhered to in addition to the Directives, rather than in place of the Directives.

Stakeholders

Parties which have an interest of any kind in the company and which interact in its activities, contribute to the company's results, affect its performance and evaluate its economic, social and environmental effects.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

A gas which is present in emissions as a result of the use of fuels containing sulphur, normally originating from petroleum and coal.

Standard publications

There are three types of standard publication: Strategy and profile announcements which provide the general context for reporting and aid understanding of organisational performance. Announcements concerning the management approach with regard to how an organisation approaches a given set of subjects to create a context to aid understanding of performance in a specific area, and performance indicators which highlight comparable information about the organisation's economic, environmental and social performance. The Directives bring to the fore subjects and information for reporting which are essential for most organisations and are of importance for most stakeholders.

Additional indicators

Additional indicators are the Indicators which are identified in the GRI Directives and which describe a practice or consider objects which are essential for some organisations, but generally not for the majority.

Alternative fuel

Waste from different industrial processes which, due to the high heat release potential and the low level of polluting substances, can be used as a partial replacement for other fuels in certain combustion processes.

Alternative raw materials

Bi-products (for example, granulates) which can be reused in production processes instead of other raw materials.

Atmospheric emissions

All solid, liquid or gaseous substances released into the atmosphere by industry, heating systems in residential areas, transport systems (i.e. cars, aircraft ) and which could cause atmospheric pollution.

Air pollution

Air pollution is emitted from many different sources such as factories, power stations, dry cleaners, cars, buses, trucks, and even the dust raised by the wind and non-extinguished fires. Air pollution can threaten the health of humans, trees, lakes, plants and animals as well as damage the ozone layer and buildings. Air pollution can also cause fog, reducing visibility in national parks and dessert areas.

Acid rain

Acid rain is a serious environmental problem which affects large areas of the United States and Canada. Acid rain is particularly damaging to lakes, rivers and forest and the plants and animals living in those ecosystems.

Hydraulic binder

Minerals which, once mixed with water, harden slowly and form fixed structures which have the same strength properties as the hardest rocks. Cement is a hydraulic binder.

Indicator aspects

The general types of information which are concerned with a specific category of indicator (for example, energy use, child labour, customers).

Impact on the environment

Every positive or negative, full or partial change introduced in the environment as a result of treatments, products or services which are connected to a certain activity.

Independent member of the Board of Directors

Definitions of ‘independent’ may vary between legal fields of application. Usually, ‘independent’ implies that the member has no financial interest in the organisation, or other potential benefit which could create a conflict of interests. Organisations which employ the Directives must indicate the definition they apply to 'independent'.

Indicator

Every informative parameter which represents a complex phenomenon in a concise and direct manner.

Indicator categories

Groups of sustainability topics or broad areas. The categories which are included in the GRI directives are economic, environmental and social directives. For example, the social group is characterised in terms of Work Practices, Human Rights, Social and Product Responsibility. A given category can have different indicator aspects.

Internal control

Company function which provides independent advice and executes control in order to evaluate the suitability of a company's internal control system.

ISO 14000

A series of environmental management and life cycle analysis standards issued by ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) since 1996. These standards are one of the reference points provided to companies wishing to implement environmental management systems for their production activities.

ISO 9001

Voluntary international standard issued by ISO in 1987 concerning quality management system requirements for organisations, independent of sector or scale. The current edition, following the first version in 1994, is also known as ‘Vision 2000’.

Limestone (CaCO3)

Sedimentary or metamorphic rocks composed of calcium carbonate. Lime-containing rocks often contain other minerals such as limestone containing silicone or sand.

QSE

Quality, Safety and Environment

Kyoto Protocol

Voluntary agreement which arose from the United Nations Climate Change Summit (1997), in accordance with what industrialised nations agreed with each other to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5% in comparison with 1990 levels in the period from 2008-2012.

Methane (CH4)

Fossil fuel. Although incorrect, the term is often used for natural gas, of which methane is the principal component.

Meal

Product obtained by milling raw materials, which are measured and added to other elements in the manner indicated. It is placed in a furnace where it is transformed into clinker stone after cooling and sintering.

Marl

Very fine yellow-grey sedimentary rock formed from limestone and clay. It is used in exactly formulated proportions in order to prepare cement and hydraulic limestone.

mg/Nm3

Unit of measure of the concentration which is used for atmospheric pollution macros; it is an indication of the level in milligrams of substances present in a cubic meter of air under normal circumstances (temperature 0°C and 1.013 bar pressure)

Mine

A mine is distinguished from a quarry by the type of materials extracted. Category 1 materials are extracted from mines (e.g. cement marl).

Eco-friendly

A characteristic which is the result of processes which aim at minimising the negative impacts of industries. It also refers to human responsibility and actions concerning the environment and its value.

Ecosystem

Basic ecological unit comprised of all animal and plant organisms which form a specific ecological environment.

Emissions trading

A “flexible” instrument on the basis of which the market for emission permits is established between countries which are bound to the Kyoto Protocol in order to achieve the targets set for emissions reductions. It enables companies to obtain emissions permits from other companies which are also bound by the emissions reduction requirements.

Emissions

Discharges of all solid, liquid or gaseous substances which find their way directly into the ecosystem and which can have direct or indirect impact on the environment.

Energy saving

The effect of measures taken by energy producers and users in order to limit energy loss by improving energy efficiency (obtaining the same product with less energy) and by engaging the most suitable source of energy for the required end-use.

Environmental management system

This is a component of a comprehensive company management system, which includes organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for the development, implementation, completion, evaluation and maintenance of an environmental policy.

Environment

All chemical and physical characteristic (abiotic factors) of the connection in which an organism exists or a company functions. In its entirety, the environment includes the air, the water, the soil and the natural minerals, the flora, the fauna and their mutual relations.

Environmental certification

Certificate which is issued by external auditors as certification of the Environmental Management Systems deployed throughout the production site. Environmental certification can relate to international standards (ISO 14001) or to European EMAS Regulation standards.

Environmental recovery

Action aimed at the recovery of a specific area as near as possible to its original condition before human intervention. It also means re-establishing the geomorphology taking account of the surface hydrology and the reintroduction of previously existing trees.

Exposure profile

The numbered information – requirements in Part 2 of the Directives which indicate the general context for reporting and understanding the organisation's performance.

OHSAS 18000

Acronym. Professional Health and Safety Evaluation Series which refers to a series of standards for the Professional Health and Safety Evaluation Series issued by the BSI (the British Standards Institute) since 1999.

Oil/water separation

The waste water purification process which removes the oils and fats present. Legislative Regulation 626/94– Legislative Regulation 19/09/1994 n. 626- Implementation of directives 89/391/EEC, 89/654/EEC, 89/655/EEC, 89/656/EEC, 90/269/EEC, 90/270/EEC, 90/394/EEC and 90/679/EEC in order to improve health and safety in the work place.

Performance indicator

Comparative quantitative or qualitative information concerning results or findings which arise in connection with the organisation and which demonstrates changes over time.

Planting

Process that usually follows on from sowing or hydro-seeding and is composed of the spreading out of medium to tall residual plants, bushes and trees in soils which have already been prepared.

Portland Cement Equivalent (PCe)

Portland Cement Equivalent (PCe) is a factor which is used in order to calculate the equivalent cement tonnage if the material which has already been produced in the cement production process (clinker stone) were milled in order to produce cement.

Pre-mixed

Cement products, mainly bricklaying cements, composed of cement mixtures and aggregates, mixed and packaged in the appropriate proportions for use in specific applications such as internal or external finishing works, in order to finish the building work.

Pollution

Changes to the physical, chemical and biological properties of a balanced environment by human activities. Pollution may relate to the ground, water and air. Pollution is also a change in the material cycle and the energy flow of ecosystems. In particular, atmospheric pollution consists of the presence of substances in the air in higher concentrations than the minimum threshold value which is considered as non-hazardous. And which can reduce the physiological well-being of mankind and can be detrimental to animal life, plant life and objects. Cross-border pollution is caused by pollution emissions which extend beyond national borders.

Eco-friendly

A characteristic which is the result of processes which aim at minimising the negative impacts of industries. It also refers to human responsibility and actions concerning the environment and its value.

Ecosystem

Basic ecological unit comprised of all animal and plant organisms which form a specific ecological environment.

Emissions trading

A “flexible” instrument on the basis of which the market for emission permits is established between countries which are bound to the Kyoto Protocol in order to achieve the targets set for emissions reductions. It enables companies to obtain emissions permits from other companies which are also bound by the emissions reduction requirements.

Emissions

Discharges of all solid, liquid or gaseous substances which find their way directly into the ecosystem and which can have direct or indirect impact on the environment.

Energy saving

The effect of measures taken by energy producers and users in order to limit energy loss by improving energy efficiency (obtaining the same product with less energy) and by engaging the most suitable source of energy for the required end-use.

Environmental management system

This is a component of a comprehensive company management system, which includes organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for the development, implementation, completion, evaluation and maintenance of an environmental policy.

Environment

All chemical and physical characteristic (abiotic factors) of the connection in which an organism exists or a company functions. In its entirety, the environment includes the air, the water, the soil and the natural minerals, the flora, the fauna and their mutual relations.

Environmental certification

Certificate which is issued by external auditors as certification of the Environmental Management Systems deployed throughout the production site. Environmental certification can relate to international standards (ISO 14001) or to European EMAS Regulation standards.

Environmental recovery

Action aimed at the recovery of a specific area as near as possible to its original condition before human intervention. It also means re-establishing the geomorphology taking account of the surface hydrology and the reintroduction of previously existing trees.

Exposure profile

The numbered information – requirements in Part 2 of the Directives which indicate the general context for reporting and understanding the organisation's performance.

Sustainable development

The World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD) in its 1987 report Our Common Future defines sustainable development as "development which fulfils the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainable development is a form of development (including the economy, cities, communities, etc) which does not compromise the ability of future generations to develop, by preserving the quality and range of their heritage and natural resources (which are not inexhaustible, while resources are considered to be inexhaustible). The goal is to maintain economic development which can be combined with social equality and ecosystems and therefore functions in a system of environmental balance.

Slag

Granulated slag from the steel processing industry (granulated blast furnace slag) is composed of complex aluminium, calcium and magnesium silicates and small quantities of manganese and iron oxides and calcium sulphate. It is used as an additive to clinker rocks in the production of cement due to its hydraulic properties.

Stone quarry

A stone quarry is a deposit or an area of land which contains raw materials which can be exploited for industrial purposes. A stone quarry is distinguished from a mine by the type of materials extracted. Category 2 materials are extracted from stone quarries (for example, limestone, clay, gravel, sand). Limestone, for example, belongs to this category of materials and is extracted from stone quarries.

SHE

Safety, Health & Environment.

Sewage slurry

Sewage slurry arises from purified municipal waste water. The European Waste Catalogue, which was implemented by the Communal Decision 2000/532/CE, classifies sewage slurry as non-hazardous waste, in other words, it is not polluted by substances which can be hazardous to humans or the environment. It can be disposed of in three ways: by using it for agricultural purposes after it has been composted, by discharge, or by recycling it as an energy source in clinker stone furnaces as cement.

Sector supplement

Sector supplements supplement the Directives with interpretations and guidance about how the Directives must be applied in a given sector, including sector-specific Performance Indicators. Applicable sector supplements must be adhered to in addition to the Directives, rather than in place of the Directives.

Stakeholders

Parties which have an interest of any kind in the company and which interact in its activities, contribute to the company's results, affect its performance and evaluate its economic, social and environmental effects.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

A gas which is present in emissions as a result of the use of fuels containing sulphur, normally originating from petroleum and coal.

Standard publications

There are three types of standard publication: Strategy and profile announcements which provide the general context for reporting and aid understanding of organisational performance. Announcements concerning the management approach with regard to how an organisation approaches a given set of subjects to create a context to aid understanding of performance in a specific area, and performance indicators which highlight comparable information about the organisation's economic, environmental and social performance. The Directives bring to the fore subjects and information for reporting which are essential for most organisations and are of importance for most stakeholders.

Upstream

The term 'upstream entity' is based on the concept of a production chain which extends from the extraction of raw materials to the use of good or services by the end user. 'Upstream' refers to the organisations which play a role in the supply chain of the reporting organisation or more generally, which play a role in a prior step in the production chain and the organisation itself. For definitions of words or terms directly included in the wording of the Indicators, see the Indicator protocols.

Control and monitoring

All activities which are carried out in order to quantify the parameters which give an indication of environmental quality (for example, air, water, subsoil).

Combustion cycle

A phase in cement production in which raw meal is burnt at extremely high temperatures in enormous cylindrical furnaces. It is the phase which requires most thermal energy and electricity and enormous quantities of air and water and during which chemical and physical reactions occur in the treated materials.

Crushing

An industrial process which covers the crushing of all types of solid materials, whereby they are reduced to micron-sized powder, grains or a semi-liquid paste.

Combustion

Chemical reaction of a fuel with flammable material, which often produces carbon oxides, water vapour and thermal energy.

Performance indicator

Comparative quantitative or qualitative information concerning results or findings which arise in connection with the organisation and which demonstrates changes over time.

Planting

Process that usually follows on from sowing or hydro-seeding and is composed of the spreading out of medium to tall residual plants, bushes and trees in soils which have already been prepared.

Portland Cement Equivalent (PCe)

Portland Cement Equivalent (PCe) is a factor which is used in order to calculate the equivalent cement tonnage if the material which has already been produced in the cement production process (clinker stone) were milled in order to produce cement.

Pre-mixed

Cement products, mainly bricklaying cements, composed of cement mixtures and aggregates, mixed and packaged in the appropriate proportions for use in specific applications such as internal or external finishing works, in order to finish the building work.

Pollution

Changes to the physical, chemical and biological properties of a balanced environment by human activities. Pollution may relate to the ground, water and air. Pollution is also a change in the material cycle and the energy flow of ecosystems. In particular, atmospheric pollution consists of the presence of substances in the air in higher concentrations than the minimum threshold value which is considered as non-hazardous. And which can reduce the physiological well-being of mankind and can be detrimental to animal life, plant life and objects. Cross-border pollution is caused by pollution emissions which extend beyond national borders.

Sustainable development

The World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD) in its 1987 report Our Common Future defines sustainable development as "development which fulfils the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainable development is a form of development (including the economy, cities, communities, etc) which does not compromise the ability of future generations to develop, by preserving the quality and range of their heritage and natural resources (which are not inexhaustible, while resources are considered to be inexhaustible). The goal is to maintain economic development which can be combined with social equality and ecosystems and therefore functions in a system of environmental balance.

Slag

Granulated slag from the steel processing industry (granulated blast furnace slag) is composed of complex aluminium, calcium and magnesium silicates and small quantities of manganese and iron oxides and calcium sulphate. It is used as an additive to clinker rocks in the production of cement due to its hydraulic properties.

Stone quarry

A stone quarry is a deposit or an area of land which contains raw materials which can be exploited for industrial purposes. A stone quarry is distinguished from a mine by the type of materials extracted. Category 2 materials are extracted from stone quarries (for example, limestone, clay, gravel, sand). Limestone, for example, belongs to this category of materials and is extracted from stone quarries.

SHE

Safety, Health & Environment.

Sewage slurry

Sewage slurry arises from purified municipal waste water. The European Waste Catalogue, which was implemented by the Communal Decision 2000/532/CE, classifies sewage slurry as non-hazardous waste, in other words, it is not polluted by substances which can be hazardous to humans or the environment. It can be disposed of in three ways: by using it for agricultural purposes after it has been composted, by discharge, or by recycling it as an energy source in clinker stone furnaces as cement.

Sector supplement

Sector supplements supplement the Directives with interpretations and guidance about how the Directives must be applied in a given sector, including sector-specific Performance Indicators. Applicable sector supplements must be adhered to in addition to the Directives, rather than in place of the Directives.

Stakeholders

Parties which have an interest of any kind in the company and which interact in its activities, contribute to the company's results, affect its performance and evaluate its economic, social and environmental effects.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

A gas which is present in emissions as a result of the use of fuels containing sulphur, normally originating from petroleum and coal.

Standard publications

There are three types of standard publication: Strategy and profile announcements which provide the general context for reporting and aid understanding of organisational performance. Announcements concerning the management approach with regard to how an organisation approaches a given set of subjects to create a context to aid understanding of performance in a specific area, and performance indicators which highlight comparable information about the organisation's economic, environmental and social performance. The Directives bring to the fore subjects and information for reporting which are essential for most organisations and are of importance for most stakeholders.

Nitrous oxide (NOx)

Gases which are produced via the oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen or from the nitrogen found in fossil fuels. Nitrous oxides can function in synergy with other gases and participate as "precursors" to the formation of photochemical oxidants (ozone, organic peroxides). After sulphur dioxide, they are the most common aggressive pollutants in the atmosphere and together cause ‘acid rain’.

Sustainable development

The World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD) in its 1987 report Our Common Future defines sustainable development as "development which fulfils the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainable development is a form of development (including the economy, cities, communities, etc) which does not compromise the ability of future generations to develop, by preserving the quality and range of their heritage and natural resources (which are not inexhaustible, while resources are considered to be inexhaustible). The goal is to maintain economic development which can be combined with social equality and ecosystems and therefore functions in a system of environmental balance.

Slag

Granulated slag from the steel processing industry (granulated blast furnace slag) is composed of complex aluminium, calcium and magnesium silicates and small quantities of manganese and iron oxides and calcium sulphate. It is used as an additive to clinker rocks in the production of cement due to its hydraulic properties.

Stone quarry

A stone quarry is a deposit or an area of land which contains raw materials which can be exploited for industrial purposes. A stone quarry is distinguished from a mine by the type of materials extracted. Category 2 materials are extracted from stone quarries (for example, limestone, clay, gravel, sand). Limestone, for example, belongs to this category of materials and is extracted from stone quarries.

SHE

Safety, Health & Environment.

Sewage slurry

Sewage slurry arises from purified municipal waste water. The European Waste Catalogue, which was implemented by the Communal Decision 2000/532/CE, classifies sewage slurry as non-hazardous waste, in other words, it is not polluted by substances which can be hazardous to humans or the environment. It can be disposed of in three ways: by using it for agricultural purposes after it has been composted, by discharge, or by recycling it as an energy source in clinker stone furnaces as cement.

Sector supplement

Sector supplements supplement the Directives with interpretations and guidance about how the Directives must be applied in a given sector, including sector-specific Performance Indicators. Applicable sector supplements must be adhered to in addition to the Directives, rather than in place of the Directives.

Stakeholders

Parties which have an interest of any kind in the company and which interact in its activities, contribute to the company's results, affect its performance and evaluate its economic, social and environmental effects.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

A gas which is present in emissions as a result of the use of fuels containing sulphur, normally originating from petroleum and coal.

Standard publications

There are three types of standard publication: Strategy and profile announcements which provide the general context for reporting and aid understanding of organisational performance. Announcements concerning the management approach with regard to how an organisation approaches a given set of subjects to create a context to aid understanding of performance in a specific area, and performance indicators which highlight comparable information about the organisation's economic, environmental and social performance. The Directives bring to the fore subjects and information for reporting which are essential for most organisations and are of importance for most stakeholders.

Decibel (dB)

The measure of the intensity of an acoustic oscillation or of the sensory perception of the ears.

Dioxins

Dioxins are a class of organic aromatic chlorine compounds. Dioxins are very unreactive due to their high molecular weight and are fat soluble. Due to these properties, they tend to be absorbed into living tissues. Laboratory experiments on animals show that dioxins are one of the most toxic anthropic compounds.

Dust

Dust is the generic term for a material which is formed by minuscule particles with a diameter of 0.25 – 500 µm. Dust which floats in the air (atmospheric dust) has an important effect on the climate, the development of radioactivity and on human health.

Control and monitoring

All activities which are carried out in order to quantify the parameters which give an indication of environmental quality (for example, air, water, subsoil).

Combustion cycle

A phase in cement production in which raw meal is burnt at extremely high temperatures in enormous cylindrical furnaces. It is the phase which requires most thermal energy and electricity and enormous quantities of air and water and during which chemical and physical reactions occur in the treated materials.

Crushing

An industrial process which covers the crushing of all types of solid materials, whereby they are reduced to micron-sized powder, grains or a semi-liquid paste.

Combustion

Chemical reaction of a fuel with flammable material, which often produces carbon oxides, water vapour and thermal energy.

Performance indicator

Comparative quantitative or qualitative information concerning results or findings which arise in connection with the organisation and which demonstrates changes over time.

Planting

Process that usually follows on from sowing or hydro-seeding and is composed of the spreading out of medium to tall residual plants, bushes and trees in soils which have already been prepared.

Portland Cement Equivalent (PCe)

Portland Cement Equivalent (PCe) is a factor which is used in order to calculate the equivalent cement tonnage if the material which has already been produced in the cement production process (clinker stone) were milled in order to produce cement.

Pre-mixed

Cement products, mainly bricklaying cements, composed of cement mixtures and aggregates, mixed and packaged in the appropriate proportions for use in specific applications such as internal or external finishing works, in order to finish the building work.

Pollution

Changes to the physical, chemical and biological properties of a balanced environment by human activities. Pollution may relate to the ground, water and air. Pollution is also a change in the material cycle and the energy flow of ecosystems. In particular, atmospheric pollution consists of the presence of substances in the air in higher concentrations than the minimum threshold value which is considered as non-hazardous. And which can reduce the physiological well-being of mankind and can be detrimental to animal life, plant life and objects. Cross-border pollution is caused by pollution emissions which extend beyond national borders.

Waste

According to the Legislative Regulation 152/06, waste is any substance or object that falls under the categories described in the appendix to the regulation which the holder disposes of himself or which he has decided or he is obliged to dispose of. Depending on its origin, waste is classified as municipal waste or as special waste and, depending on its characteristics, as hazardous or non-hazardous waste.

Waste water

Waste water which results from industrial activities or household waste. Waste water can also be released into the environment after been treated in an appropriate manner.

Watt (W)

Unit of measure of capacity in the International System; 1 watt equals the performance figure of one joule of work per second of time.