Analyze the life cycle environmental and social impact of Heidelberg Cement’s operations, the concerns of different stakeholders on these impacts, and how these stakeholders concerns affect the company.

Cement is considered to be one of the most useful materials ever developed by man due to its strength and durability. However by virtue of its chemical and mineral composition as well as its manufacturing process cement production is deemed to have quite a significant environmental and social impact on its various stakeholders in a variety of ways and at varying degrees.
One strategy that has been developed to help assess the extent of this impact is the use of a life cycle Assessment tool. The life cycle assessment is a systematic way of compiling and examining the inputs and outputs of energy as well as materials used in the manufacturing of a product or service as well as the environmental impacts directly attributed to the manufacturing process of that product or service throughout its life cycle. The life cycle of a product comprises the manufacturing process from raw material extraction, through to materials processing and manufacturing, all the way to distribution, usage, maintenance and disposal or recycling.
One company that has been at the forefront of Cement production over the years has been Heidelberg Cement. Heidelberg cement having been in operation for over 140 years is one of the world’s largest building materials companies. It is a multinational building materials company head quartered in Germany having presence in more than 40 countries with over 51,000 employees in 2,500 locations.
The company, on its website lists its core activities to include the production and distribution of cement and aggregates, two essential raw materials used in manufacturing concrete. The company’s product range also includes ready-mixed concrete, concrete