Semarnat recognizes Vitro” environmental commitment

Vitro S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: VITROA), hereinafter “Vitro” or the “Company”, the leading glass producer in Mexico, informs that it was recognized by Mexico’s Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) for its Greenhouse Gases (GEI) emissions mitigation project implemented in its subsidiary Vitro Vidrio y Cristal, and for complying with the requirements of the GEI Mexico Program, obtaining the certification of having achieved level GEI3.The recognition was given to Vitro by the Deputy Secretary of Environmental Promotion and Standards of the Semarnat, Cuauhtémoc Ochoa Fernández, during the event “GEI Mexico Program: Recognition of Mitigation Actions, 2013” held in Mexico City on July 16th, 2013.“We are proud to receive this recognition that certifies Vitro for having achieved the maximum level of recognition in the GEI Mexico Program.This motivates us to continue advancing in our tireless efforts to promote sustainable development”, said Alfonso Gómez Tamez, Vitro’s Continuous Improvement Director.

The GEI Mexico Program is a national accounting and reporting initiative that promotes emissions reducing projects. It was created for the purpose of adopting voluntary actions to combat climate change.

The initiative is a public-private alliance coordinated by the Semarnat and the Private Sector Studies Commission for Sustainable Development (CESPEDES) of the Corporate Coordination Council (Consejo de Coordinación Empresarial).

To obtain level GEI3, a project on “Emissions reduction through cullet use in the glass melting process” was presented, demonstrating an effective decrease of 6,051 GEI tons during 2011. This resulted from the increasing use of glass for recycling (cullet) along the production, and from increasing volumes of glass collection, based on a growing scale strategy.

This project was implemented according to the requirements established by the Verification Protocol for Certification on Carbon Performance and GEI Emissions Reduction. Both, the program itself and the resulting emissions were verified by ANCE A.C., a verification unit recognized by the Mexican Institute for Accreditation (EMA).

“Since it is the maximum level provided by the GEI Mexico Program, it is also a requirement to demonstrate that the company has achieved progress and GEI emission reductions, by means of third party verification. Likewise, the verified GEI emission reductions will be registered in the “GEI Mexico Registry”, explained Gómez Tamez.