Page 83 - Hualien Sustainable Living Bilingual Magazine

Cement may seem antithetical to nature, but when we look deeper into Taiwan Cement Corporation’s (TCC) views toward global sustainability and brand positioning, we see something unexpected. Nelson Chang (Chang An-Ping), chairman of TCC, said,“The cement industry is actually very similar to agriculture, fishing, and animal husbandry. It is an industry that takes from the land and uses it for the betterment of human civilization.”The application of cement in the landscape of civilization has changed the natural environment. Cement is responsible for protecting the safety of people, especially in Taiwan where earthquakes, typhoons, and floods are frequent. He mentioned that the book The Human Age described how cities and spider web- like roads all over the world light up the night sky of the Earth; cement plays a key role in this phenomenon, as it offers safety to people and connects people throughout the world. As times change, Chairman Chang believes that the past perception of cement involving mining limestone and consuming the Earth’s energy is no longer accurate. Instead, thanks to advanced technology, cement is no longer a high-consumption, high-pollution industry. TCC was also one of the first companies to examine the cement industry’s relationship with nature because of its h e i g h t e n e d a w a r e n e s s o f s u s t a i n a b i l i t y . “ T C C ’s b u s i n e s s m a n a g e m e n t p h i l o s o p h y a n d a c t i o n s a r e all geared toward the themes of‘sustainability’and‘social interest’.” 78 Hualien Issue