Developing a circular economy is fundamental to global efforts to combat climate change. YTL Cement is playing its part by developing environmentally responsible products. These eco-friendly products contain less carbon and are designed with reusability and recycling in mind. We have enhanced the production process to be more efficient and effective. We are working with companies in other industries to help them manage their waste as either alternative fuel or alternative raw material.

Producing and delivering products of quality that meet standards

Since 2018, approximately RM 190 million was spent on various debottlenecking initiatives and equipment upgrades. The result is leaner, more efficient operations throughout the organisation. We produce and deliver products of consistent quality that meet standards. Our products are certified with SIRIM Product Certification and conform to MS EN197-1:2014 and MS EN413-1:2012 standards. Our cement plants are certified to ISO9001:2015, while our laboratories are ISO/IEC17025:2017 certified.

Low carbon products and solutions

We offer a wide range of building materials that support the principles of sustainable construction. To help our customers select products most suitable for green projects, we have structured our low-carbon products under the ECO product range – ECOCem™, ECOConcrete™, and ECOSand™.

These products are all engineered to foster the environmentally-preferred features of a green building. These include having reduced embodied carbon, enabling reuse and recycling, promoting good indoor air quality, facilitating rainwater harvesting, and lowering the operational carbon of the overall structure.

In particular, ECOSand™ reduces the need for sand mining, which often leads to severe environmental degradation.

Our eco-friendly products

Promoting a circular economy

A circular economy helps reduce pressure on our environment by giving materials a second life. For example, some waste materials – like Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA) – can be used as an alternative fuel in the cement making process. This avoids disposal into landfills and preserves natural resources.

Through this industrial symbiosis, we reduce the carbon footprint of our cement plants, and reuse the industrial waste of other organizations. Our subsidiary, Geo Alam Environmental, works closely with customers to help them transition from the traditional take-make-waste production model to the circular cradle-to-cradle framework.

Not only is waste reduced and reused, but a circular economy also creates employment and promotes innovation.

The YTL Cement Group aspires to be carbon neutral by 2050. We aim to proactively manage our environmental impact and contribute to sustainable construction through our products, services, and solutions. We will promote sustainable construction within Malaysia in particular, and the ASEAN region in general.

Supporting biodiversity management

The first step in the cement production process is the extraction of raw materials from our quarries. Hence, our commitment to sustainability also begins at this point.

Specifically, we ensure that all of our quarries are in locations gazetted by the local government for mining and production. We also make sure that we have all required permits, and our operations are in full compliance with applicable regulations. Furthermore, each site has a mining development plan that adheres to environmental requirements, and always emphasises the safety and health of the people working there.

In 2014, we established the Centre for Biodiversity, Conservation, and Research Efforts (BCRE). Through this initiative, we aim to develop a better understanding of the environment around our operations. The BCRE is currently working on two projects – at Gua Kanthan in Perak, and Gua Pinang in Langkawi.

Reducing the carbon footprint of our operations

We have put in place various measures and industry best practices to minimise wastage in our production process. The performance of our plants – in terms of efficiency, wastage reduction, and carbon emissions – is then benchmarked both against each other, and with industry peers. This allows our centralised technical team, which consists of highly-experienced engineers, to continuously monitor the efficacy of our sustainability efforts and make adjustments when needed.

We have invested extensively to upgrade our plants. We now boast some of the most modern equipment in the Malaysian cement industry. Our technicians and engineers are well trained to implement preventive maintenance programmes to ensure that our equipment are properly maintained and managed.

Promoting resource recovery and responsible waste management

All of our plants have implemented an alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) strategy. AFR are materials prepared from commercial, industrial, and agricultural waste. By using these materials, we are able to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, and thus avoid the associated decomposition-related greenhouse gas emissions.

YTL Cement also converts residual heat from the production process into clean, decarbonised electricity. The system at our Padang Rengas plant is the first such installation in Malaysia, and has resulted in the reduced usage of fossil fuels, primarily coal.

Developing low carbon products

Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) contains up to 95% clinker. To reduce carbon emissions, we developed a range of eco-friendly cement products – called ECOCem™ – that significantly replaces clinker with alternative raw materials (up to 50%).

Promoting sustainable construction

As market leader, we are at the forefront of promoting sustainable construction in Malaysia. We primarily do this by focusing on education.

The YTL Cement Seminar Series is a platform where experts and industry practitioners can share their knowledge and experience on topics relevant to the local construction industry. Started in 2019, it has seen a steadily increasing participation rate, which gives us an avenue to drive awareness of sustainable construction.

The Masterclass Series, an extension of the YTL Seminar Series, sees us working with public and private universities to directly engage with students studying Engineering or Architecture. Through this series, we educate the builders of tomorrow on the role of green materials in sustainability.

Governance

YTL Cement’s Sustainability Committee drives our sustainability program. It has the responsibility for the development of the sustainability roadmap, and associated monitoring systems to ensure the achievement of goals. The Committee identifies action items for managing climate-related risks, and – with the support of senior management – assigns these responsibilities to teams across the organisation. Additionally, it closely monitors external developments regarding climate-related issues, and leads engagement with external stakeholders.

As market leader and industry pioneer, we take our responsibility to foster a harmonious working environment for all of our stakeholders seriously. We have therefore instituted policies that remind each member of the YTL Cement family that high standards of personal conduct are expected and to be practiced every day.

Accountability

The YTL Cement adopts the YTL Group’s Code of Conduct and Business Ethics. This Code provides guidance and examples on maintaining integrity across a wide range of situations covering scenarios at the workplace, during business activities, or when engaging with the community.

Anti-bribery and corruption

To further support our commitment to doing business responsibly, we instituted an Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC) Policy. This ensures that all of our employees understand the Group’s zero tolerance for bribery and corruption within the organisation. To date, over 4,000 of our employees have completed all three of the ABC training modules.

Environment

Our aspiration is to be carbon neutral by 2050. We therefore commit to proactively manage our environmental impact by supporting biodiversity management and reducing the carbon footprint of our operations. We will continue to contribute to sustainable construction by developing eco-friendly products, offering low carbon solutions, and driving awareness whenever possible.

Health and Safety

The safety and wellbeing of the YTL Cement family is top priority. Our Health and Safety regimen stresses visible leadership and personal accountability around the core commitments of Zero Harm, Compliance to Legislations, Managing Risk, Developing Safety Culture, Open Communications, and Continuous Improvements.

Non-discrimination

We greatly value and respect the diversity, cultural, and religious differences of our employees. We have a policy of non-discrimination to cultivate respect for diversity among the members of the YTL Cement family. This can be seen most clearly in the ‘gotong-royong’ initiatives organised by our dedicated CSR arm, BUILDS. In these events, employees from all over the company volunteer to work together to improve the community.

Whistleblower

We have a policy of encouraging employees to raise genuine concerns about our operations or business practices that may lead to the reporting of unlawful, unethical, or questionable behaviour. Our policy is to always allow whistleblowers to report in confidence without the risk of reprisal.

Nurturing and developing talent is crucial in advancing the Malaysian construction industry. We believe that a healthy and safe working environment is essential in ensuring a secure and conducive environment for our business and people to thrive. We invest in developing and retaining talents to help us move towards our sustainability goals and aspirations. As responsible corporate citizens, we support causes which extend beyond business objectives through our CSR arm, BUILDS.

Making Health and Safety the core of our operations

We are committed to health and safety through visible leadership and personal accountability around the following core principles:

• Zero Harm: We will be responsible for providing a conducive working environment for our employees and contractors that is safe, healthy, and secure
• Compliance with Legislation: We will always conform to all relevant local and national standards, rules, and procedures
• Managing Risk: We will establish safety guidelines and procedures to minimise occupational health and safety risks throughout our operations
• Developing Safety Culture: We will empower our employees to take ownership of, and support each other in, creating a safe and healthy working environment
• Open Communications: We will provide channels for the dissemination of information and to receive feedback
• Continuous Improvements: We will periodically review our Health and Safety performance so that we can make adjustments where needed

Additionally, each person working at one of our facilities, whether employee or contractor, must attend a health and safety induction prior to the start of work. The induction covers an introduction to site operations, the materials managed, equipment safety, traffic rules, health and safety procedures, environmental protocols, and emergency response routines.

YTL Cement has also instituted the Electronic H&S Incident Reporting system. This allows our plant-based Safety and Health Committees (SHC) to effectively collect information on incidents that occur during operations in an easy and quick manner. This data is then analysed to develop improvement action items.

Fostering Talent

YTL Cement has put in place several strategies aimed at attracting, developing, and retaining talented individuals.

• Attracting talent

  The YTL Cement Scholarship scheme was launched in 2007 to provide financial aid to students pursuing an engineering degree in local universities. To date, 75 scholarships have been awarded – with more than half of these recipients choosing to start their careers with us.

• Developing talent

  Our Learning and Development Division (L&D) is tasked with providing training to our employees so that they are able to progress in their careers. The training covers both soft and technical skills.
  From 2020 to 2022, L&D has trained over 500 employees in soft skills such as business writing, Microsoft Excel, preparing presentations, interviewing, and general leadership. During the same period, over 5,000 employees received technical skills training in topics ranging from project management to legislation that covers our industry.
  Plant management also plays an active role in identifying potential leaders. L&D then determines what gaps in their knowledge need to be filled for them to make the next jump in their careers, and designs a suitable training roadmap. By doing so, we not only hope to nurture the budding talent that exists within our organisation, but to also develop a reservoir of talent.

• Retaining talent

  Talent retention is an important facet of the modern organization. While it may be possible to replace the technical skills of an individual, it is often difficult to replace the commitment and professionalism that are so important to building team spirit.
  YTL Cement recognises this fact, and has thus embarked on a set of initiatives to show our appreciation to our employees. The latest is the Brown Bag Luncheon Series, where our colleagues are encouraged to learn about things outside work. For example, the first two workshops in this series covered the intricacies of coffee, and how to lead a healthier lifestyle, respectively.
  We also provide financial aid, in terms of reimbursement or sponsorship, for our employees who decide to continue their formal education.
  We want to develop a pipeline of talent for succession planning. Our employees receive regular performance and career development reviews to identify what skills need upgrading, and how we can help.

Building the community

BUILDS is YTL Cement’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm. It is dedicated to supporting causes that extend beyond business objectives. The goals of BUILDS are centred around ensuring and contributing to the wellbeing of people, the environment, and the making of sustainable and worthwhile progress.

• Building Communities Together

  BUILDS works alongside community members and various stakeholders to enrich lives and improve livelihoods.
  We have organised park clean-up activities involving the YTL Cement family. In true ‘gotong-royong’ spirit, these activities were done in conjunction with the Department of Environment, and other local authorities.
  BUILDS has also worked with local organisations that directly improve the well-being of Malaysian society. Our partners have included RIUH, which supports the local arts and crafts scene; the Perak Food Bank, which channels surplus food and produce to targeted groups within the state; and the Lost Food Project, which distributes aid to those in need in the Klang Valley.

• Building Sustainably Together

  BUILDS is proactive in our effort to protect wildlife and conserve the environment around us. We aim to operate sustainably and responsibly following the appropriate standards.
  The Centre for Biodiversity, Conservation, and Research Efforts (BCRE) is a research centre established under the auspices of BUILDS. The overarching goal is to understand the environments around our operations better in the hopes of developing more effective conservation plans.

• Building Potential Together

  BUILDS aims to inspire and encourage creative curiosity across all levels of education, skillsets, and talent. Among its initiatives is the YTL Cement scholarship that offers students pursuing a degree in local universities the opportunity to explore their potential and shape their future in the field of engineering. To date, we have contributed to the technological development of the country by providing 75 scholarships.

Find out more about BUILDS initiatives