World Cities Day, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, is commemorated every year on 31 October with the aim of promoting interest in urbanisation, encouraging cooperation between countries and reflecting on cities, inviting people to think about their future and the global urban challenges in order to make them sustainable, inclusive and safe for the communities that make them up.

In this way, and working in line with SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations, FCC shows its support once again for this international day with the aim of raising awareness and continuing to create value for all citizens, as well as its customers, shareholders and collaborators, about the opportunities and challenges posed by the growing population growth in cities. It does so through the following levers, as part of its strategy in the search for profitable growth: Quality and Innovation; Integrity in its actions; Financial discipline and management efficiency; & Proximity and commitment.

This year, the UN campaign aims to 'Adapt Cities for Climate Resilience' to address issues related to the climate crisis, urban poverty, informal settlements, provide resilient infrastructure, ensure access to basic services for all people, manage urban ecosystems and systems, and make livelihoods sustainable and resilient. The city of Luxor (Egypt) will host this year's main global celebration of the day, which can be followed live via this link.
 

Sustainability at the heart of our development

For 120 years, our company has been contributing to the development, progress and transformation of cities with its commitment to the continuous improvement of its internal processes and the services it offers, as well as carrying out innovative and sustainable initiatives, projects and procedures with the aim of improving people's quality of life, making them the protagonists of cities and promoting their sustainable development as one of the cornerstones of our own development.

Not only have we renewed our commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and its ten principles with a view to directly achieving the 17 SDGs, but taking into account the rapid urbanisation and economic and urban growth of cities, inequalities and the other possible consequences of this situation, such as levels of energy consumption, carbon emissions or pollution, FCC recently launched programmes such as 'FCC+Acción', 'FCC+Educa' or 'Ciudad 2025'. These initiatives, a demonstration of our investment in R&D&I, are part of our CSR Master Plan 2020 and the forthcoming ESG 2025 strategy, and act as the best example of our responsibility to improve people's well-being and respond successfully and effectively to today's urban challenges.
 

The contribution of the FCC Group's businesses to creating more sustainable cities

The FCC Group has designed a roadmap, integrating the circular economy into its business strategy. The circular economy is an opportunity to expand its contribution to the sustainable development of cities, while enabling the adaptation and resilience needed to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Circularity is therefore integrated into two of its business lines, Environment and Aqualia, specialising in waste and water management, respectively. As for its Construction and Cement businesses, the integration of the circular economy allows it to broaden its contribution horizon, helping to move towards a more sustainable economic model.

Due to the growing global demand for natural resources, the FCC Group bases its strategy on their efficient management. In this respect, each of the Group's businesses implements a series of specific measures to minimise the impact of the activities carried out, establishing protocols for the protection of the natural resources necessary for the development of its activity. Sustainability has been a turning point in the company to continue contributing to the socially responsible and sustainable transition of the cities of the present and the future.

More related information is available in the FCC Group's 2020 Annual Report.

UN figures

According to data provided by the international organisation, the world's population is expected to increase by 2 billion people in the next 30 years, i.e. from 7.7 billion today to 9.7 billion. Currently, some 4.5 billion people, i.e. 56.2% of the world's population, live in cities, and the urban population is expected to reach 6.5 billion by then. Given this scenario, sustainable development and new technologies will be the main vector for adapting the conception and planning of cities to this growth model.