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Miiroku: the project through which more than 270 people from indigenous communities in Alta Guajira received 30 dignified and sustainable homes today

Miiroku: the project through which more than 270 people from indigenous communities in Alta Guajira received 30 dignified and sustainable homes today

  • The homes were designed in dialogue with Wayuu communities and adapted to the territory’s climatic conditions, with a focus on cultural and ethnic considerations.
  • During the event, a tour of the homes was conducted, highlighting the natural ventilation systems, rainwater collection, and eco-efficient materials.
  • Miiroku is made possible thanks to the joint efforts of the Grupo Argos Foundation; Cementos Argos with its social enterprise Casa Para Mí; the Santo Domingo Foundation; Grupo AVAL; and the Ministry of Housing, City, and Territory.

At an event attended by nearly 100 people from the Kayuswaaralu and Naleep indigenous communities in Alta Guajira, the Grupo Argos Foundation, Cementos Argos, the Santo Domingo Foundation, Grupo AVAL, and the Ministry of Housing, City, and Territory celebrated the official handover of the 30 homes from the Miiroku project. This initiative marks a milestone in the country by combining social infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and a cultural approach to improve the living conditions of Wayuu indigenous families in La Guajira.

“Miiroku is the concrete expression of a new way of approaching habitat from the public sector. It is a way of relating to territories based on dialogue, recognition of cultural and environmental diversity, and commitment to solutions that emerge from the communities themselves. This project represents the type of policy promoted by the Ministry: one that understands housing not as a product, but as a means to strengthen social fabric, care for the environment, and build peace through everyday life”. Said Aydeé Marsiglia Bello, Vice Minister of Housing.

“Miiroku is just the beginning of a journey for many more families in Colombia to make the dream of having a home a reality. At Cementos Argos, through our social enterprise Casa Para Mí, we reaffirm our commitment to building not only structures but also hope, dignity, and a future for all Colombians. We are convinced that building housing is building the country. This project fills us with pride and is tangible proof that, by joining efforts, it is possible to develop sustainable homes that contribute to the dreams of a better future for our territories”. Said Juan Esteban Calle, presidente de Cementos Argos.

“The official handover of these homes marks a milestone in our commitment to transforming lives through an approach based on sustainability and deep respect for communities. This project is an example of how, through the Grupo Argos Foundation, we promote initiatives that strengthen sustainable development, coordinating efforts with public and private partners to generate positive transformations in our country”. Said María Camila Villegas, Executive Director of the Grupo Argos Foundation.

During the event, attendees toured some of the already inhabited homes, built to high sustainability standards and under a co-creation model with the Wayuu community. These homes, which are already LEED-certified, incorporate principles of energy efficiency, natural ventilation, rainwater collection, and environmentally friendly materials, becoming a benchmark for dignified and resilient housing in rural areas with high climate vulnerability.

“Miiroku is a clear example of what it means to create social transformations with impact: bringing sustainable solutions to where they are most needed, through partnerships that combine capabilities and make the seemingly impossible possible. This handover of homes in Alta Guajira represents much more than infrastructure; it is a commitment to the dignity, well-being, and quality of life of families, and reaffirms our dedication to closing gaps and building a more equitable and sustainable country”. Said José Francisco Aguirre, Executive Director, Santo Domingo Foundation.

“This project demonstrates the power of partnerships when built with empathy, commitment, and a shared vision. At Grupo Aval, we continue working hand in hand with the communities of La Guajira to drive sustainable transformations that improve their quality of life in the long term”. Said María Lorena Gutiérrez, President of Grupo Aval.

Miiroku demonstrates the transformative power of public-private collaboration in the service of collective well-being, development with identity, sustainability, and dignity in the territories that need it most, showing that it is possible to implement high-impact solutions that transform realities.

Press Room:

https://argos.co/en/press-room/

Manuel Valencia
Communications Manager
Email: mvalencia@grupoargos.com
Mobile: +57 311 3845611		Maicol Cheng
Communications Director
Email: mcheng@grupoargos.com
Mobile: +57 301 6318937
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PIEDAD MONSALVE

Gerente de Reputación y Comunicaciones Corporativas
pmonsalve@argos.com.co

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RAQUEL YEPES

Comunicaciones para Colombia
ryepess@argos.com.co

NATHALIA RIOS
Comunicaciones para Centroamérica nathalia.rios@argos.com.co
DANIELA VALLE

Comunicaciones para Caribe 
dvalle@argos.com.co

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Sala de prensa

Atmospheric emissions

We are committed to reducing our emissions through actions that achieve more efficient processes and the implementation of abatement measures, contributing to good air quality in the places where we operate.  Our cement-, concrete- and aggregate-production processes generate punctual and scattered particulate matter (PM) emissions, as well as emissions of sulfur oxides (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the clinkering furnaces of the cement plants.

  • For society:  To contribute to mitigating the impact on air quality in the areas where we operate, acting responsibly and promoting relationships of trust with our Stakeholders.

 

  • For the company:  To develop more efficient processes that allow us to reduce our atmospheric emissions and contribute to responsible production, complying with local regulations in the countries where we operate and – in some cases – going beyond compliance with said regulations, contributing to the profitability of the business and preparing to face future challenges.

The “Emissions” pillar of our Environmental Strategy focuses on: Working on the adequate measurement, control and reduction of SO2, NOx and particulate-material (PM) emissions generated by our production processes in the cement business and on the prevention and mitigation of our dispersed emissions of particulate material (dust), originated mainly by the activities of transportation, transfer, unloading and storage of materials in the cement, concrete and aggregate processes. The foregoing, through operational control, optimization and renewal of emission-control systems to achieve continuous improvement.

Industry positioning

We position ourselves as strategic allies for the development of the territories where we are present, directly and through the empowerment of our value chain.  We do it through the construction of housing and sustainable infrastructure that enables the closing of socioeconomic gaps, the generation of employment, the improvement of the quality of life and the reduction of the impacts generated.

  • For society:  To sustainably respond to the growing demand for housing and infrastructure of the world population with the aim of improving people’s quality of life, interconnecting regions and developing innovative solutions. 

 

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    For the company:  To be strategic allies of the actors in our value chain in order to maintain the Company’s leadership in the market, ensure its competitiveness over time and increase the generation of sustainable value.

We are committed to the role we have as a Company in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda goals, the consolidation of territorial development plans where we operate, and the economic reactivation of the countries affected by the pandemic. Therefore, we focus our efforts in the development of sustainable housing and infrastructure projects that contribute to closing socioeconomic gaps, generating employment under safe conditions, environmental protection, and investment in improving people’s health systems and quality of life. 

Our work unfolds in three large lines:

 

Cities for everyone:

 

With nearly 54% of the world  population living in urban areas, the pandemic made inequality of those who live in the cities of the world

manifest. Nearly 90% of the COVID-19 cases are concentrated in the urban

centers that have, among others, challenges associated with access to basic services and decent housing conditions. For this reason, we work together with our value chain to develop projects that benefit the lessfavored population, facilitate access to housing, and promote development in

the areas of influence.

 

Interconnected cities

 

The need to connect urban areas with rural areas to expand the coverage

of basic services, such as health, has been a priority of developing countries

since before the pandemic. Therefore, during 2020, we continued working on creating innovative solutions that allow us to be present in the large projects of the countries and territories where we are present.

 

Intelligent cities

 

In recent years, the acuteness of the effects of climate change became the

risk of greatest impact to the world. Therefore, in the global stage, a need

has grown to transition to a low-carbon economy, an opportunity that becomes more relevant amid post-pandemic recovery scenarios and the effort we are making as a Company to generate new business models that respond to environmental and social challenges. For this reason, our Climate-Change Strategy includes actions aimed at mitigating the impacts associated with our productive processes, adapting our operating model and innovating from the identification of optimization opportunities.

Supplier management

Supplier management is a fundamental pillar of our Supply Chain Strategy; it seeks to build and strengthen relationships with strategic allies who have the ability to contribute to the Company in terms of efficiency, productivity, customer service and innovation.  For this reason, we carefully select our suppliers, transfer knowledge to promote their development, promote good practices and recognize those who are an example of sustainable, innovative, safe and responsible management.

  • For society:  To develop our suppliers, promote transparent practices and responsible conduct, to improve the productivity and competitiveness of our society and support the construction of a better future.

 

  • For the company:  To seek to add value throughout the Company’s supply chain, from the purchase of goods and services to the delivery of products to clients.  Through the mitigation of risks and potentiation of opportunities, the implementation of good contracting practices and service excellence, we create relationships of trust and turn suppliers into business allies.

Our management is divided into five stages:

  1. Identification: We determine the goods and services required for our operation and the category to which they belong, according to our Category Tree. This groups our suppliers into macro-categories which – in turn – are subdivided into two more specific levels.
  2. Pre-Selection: We validate the suitability of suppliers through due diligence and review aspects of sustainability and financial health to ensure long-term relationships.
  3. Negotiation: We select suppliers with high standards, considering technical, economic, sustainability and service aspects.
  4. Retention and evaluation: We carry out knowledge-transfer processes with those suppliers with growth potential.
    • We characterize our suppliers as critical suppliers or with potential risk in sustainability.
    • We measure the management of critical suppliers through performance evaluations in terms of quality, service, occupational health and safety, having constant feedback and identifying key factors for their development.
    • We apply the Sustainability Index to suppliers with potential sustainability risks, to identify challenges, opportunities, and to develop joint action plans in environmental, economic, social and Human-Rights matters.
    • We implement additional controls and development plans to suppliers belonging to categories where the greatest potential risks have been identified. This is how, for example, we develop road-safety strategies for our logistics suppliers; with mining suppliers, we carry out a more rigorous pre-selection process, and with contractors, we have special controls on occupational health and safety.
    • We have a Transparency Line for Stakeholders to report possible improper actions and to implement the pertinent corrective actions. 
  5. Recognition:  Every two years, through Growing Together (Creciendo Juntos), we recognize the suppliers that have shown outstanding performance in innovation, sustainability, health and safety and development and comprehensiveness.

 

Additionally, we have:

 

Contracting manual: transparent action framework that guides the negotiation and contracting of our suppliers to allow the process to be agile, make use of best practices and carry out adequate risk management.

 

Code of conduct for suppliers: in which we define the principles and behaviors that we expect from our allies in terms of respect for human rights, protection of workers, environmental management, business ethics and responsible business practices.

Ethics and compliance

We are convinced that ethics and integrity are fundamental and non-negotiable; that is why we live by these principles, integrating them into our operations, processes, and strategy, thus generating value responsibly for our business, our Stakeholders, and for society.  Through the Global Governance and Compliance Program, our ethics and business conduct system, we seek to promote that our actions are consistent with the pillars of corporate culture and integrity as the guiding principle of our business activity.

  • For society:  To promote transparent, competitive, and sustainable business environments that strengthen trust and ethics in business, generating positive impacts for the market and society.

 

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    For the company:  To promote that our actions are consistent with the pillars of culture and that integrity is the inspiring principle of all members of the Organization.  This is how we consolidate ourselves as a competitive, reliable company in the eyes of investors and other Stakeholders.

We have voluntarily adopted a self-regulatory framework that confirms our commitment to business ethics as a way to promote transparent practices that contribute to the development of competitive environments. This framework* incorporates mandatory principles of ethics and conduct:

 

 

For the proper implementation and application of these guidelines, the strengthening of the ethical culture, the prevention and control of incorrect actions, our Board of Directors approved the Global Governance and Compliance Program (GGCP, in Spanish). The program structure incorporates international best practices to evaluate compliance programs, such as ISO 37001, ISO 19600 and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) guidelines. The program has the following scope:

 

 

Likewise, it systematically groups together the activities carried out to promote integrity in the Company’s actions, its employees, and members

of the value chain, which allow the updating and permanent strengthening

of the program. Operating Scheme:

 

Efficiency and productivity

We materialize our Corporate Strategy through actions aimed at the efficient use of resources, the improvement of our financial flexibility and the maximization of income generation and business profitability.  We focus on the application of efficient, safe production processes and circular economy models, on the diversification of energy management models and on the efficient management of the supply chain.

  • For society:  To provide solutions and products that meet the needs of our clients through the responsible, appropriate use of resources and the incorporation of raw materials and alternative energy sources.

  • For the company:  To guarantee business sustainability, optimize working capital and capital investments, reduce costs and the level of indebtedness, and mitigate risks regarding the availability of resources necessary for our operation and the emergence of new business realities, environmental requirements and new regulations.

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