Dangote Cement’s commitment to climate change yields dividend

Dangote Cement’s commitment to environmental disclosures and sustainability is yielding the desired results with Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) raising its rating from C to B- even as it proposes a dividend of N20 per share for the year ended December 31,2021.

The CDP is an international non-profit organization based in the United Kingdom which runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts.

CDP explained that it raised the rating as a result of the Company’s commitment to climate change. The upgrade clearly illustrates the progress made by Dangote Cement regarding commitment to transparency and mitigating its carbon dioxide footprint. This is one of the highest ratings in Sub-Saharan Africa and the only Nigeria company rated by CDP.

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Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Cement Plc, Michel Puchercos, in his response to the development said: “We are pleased to be recognised for the progress that we are making in our environmental disclosures and sustainability. The CDP rating upgrade clearly illustrates the steps that Dangote Cement is taking in its commitment to transparency on climate and environmental issues.

According to him, the cement company is focused on making a positive difference, which is “why sustainability is at the core of every part of our business. In addition, our Alternative Fuel Project is at an advanced stage which aims to leverage waste management solutions, reduce CO2 emissions, and source material locally. This year, we co-processed 89,000 tons of waste representing a 60% increase over 2020.”

He added that Dangote Cement is focused on sound governance, saying, “we are leading the way with our commitment to sustainability and best practices.  We are driven by the goal of achieving the highest level of governance and building a sustainable brand for all stakeholders.  Transparency and consistency are at the core of every part our business culture”

In its financials for full year ended December 31, 2021, Group sales volume for Dangote Cement stood at 29.3Mt, with Nigeria accounting for 18.61Mt while operations in other countries did 10.86Mt.

Group revenue was N1,383.6 billion for the full year, made up of N993.34 billion from Nigeria while revenue from across African plants was N397.32 billion, in contrast to the group revenue of N1,034.20 billion in 2020 which constituted of N719.95 billion from Nigeria and N318.68 billion from other African operations. Dangote Cement recorded a gross profit of N538.37 billion and after-tax profit of N364.44 billion. The directors have proposed a  dividend of ₦20.00 per share.

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Dangote Cement became the first Nigerian listed company to report its financial results using XBRL format with the IFRS taxonomy. Adopting XBRL reporting format will strongly benefit Dangote Cement’s existing and potential investors. It represents another step in continuing efforts to modernize and enhance transparency of, and access to, companies’ disclosures.

Dangote Cement Plc is sub-Saharan Africa’s largest cement producer with an installed capacity of 45.6Mta across 10 African countries and operates a fully integrated “quarry-to-customer” business with activities covering manufacturing, sales, and distribution of cement.

Dangote Cement has a long-term credit rating of AA+ by GCR and Aa2.ng by Moody’s due to its market leading position, significant operational scale and strong financial profile evidenced by the company’s robust operating and net profit margins relative to regional and global peers, adequate working capital, satisfactory cash flow and low leverage.

Dangote Cement is a subsidiary of Dangote Industries Limited, a diversified and fully integrated conglomerate as well as a leading brand across Africa in businesses such as cement, sugar, salt, beverages, and real estate, with new multi-billion-dollar projects underway in the oil and gas, petrochemical, fertiliser and agricultural sectors