BirdLife BirdLife and Cemex signing the agreement. Mike Rands, CEO of BirdLife International (left) and Armando J. Garcia, Cemex Executive Vice President of Development (right) Zoom In | Hi-Res

BirdLife and Cemex launch 'Birds and People' and begin a decade of cooperation

04-12-2007

Today (December 5th 2007) sees an event at the Bibliothèque Solvay in Brussels to celebrate the signing of a 10- year agreement between BirdLife International and Cemex to protect habitats and biodiversity and to launch their new book: 'Birds and People: Bonds in a Timeless Journey'.

Cemex and BirdLife International have worked together in Europe before, but this new agreement goes futher. Birds are a precious indicator of biodiversity and a healthy environment and Cemex wants to further integrate the protection of the environment into its business by engaging in a partnership with BirdLife.

BirdLife's counsel, advice and expertise will be incorporated into the management of over 400 quarry sites operated by Cemex around the world.

We welcome this long-term commitment to partnership between industry and conservation. Working together and focusing on birds, we can make a real, positive contribution to biodiversity and the wider environment —Dr. Mike Rands, CEO of BirdLife International

As an early example of this collaboration, BirdLife International and Cemex have produced an outstanding new book, 'Birds and People: Bonds in a Timeless Journey' which in addition to celebrating the relationship between man and birds, also illustrates how the actions of birds can warn us of future environmental threats. The book unfolds the history of our relationship with this most colourful and familiar groups of organisms.

The agreement between BirdLife and Cemex supports a number of shared goals on which both partners will be working on for the next decade, including raising environmental awareness of Cemex stakeholders and staff and finding opportunities for enhancing conditions for bird populations at Cemex sites through improved environmental management pratices, including mitigation and rehabilitation.

More information on the book:
Copies of the book can be purchased from the NHBS Online Bookstore (www.nhbs.com/birdsandpeople).
Book Details: Collar, N.J., A.J. Long, P. Robles Gil, and J. Rojo. 2007. Birds and People: Bonds in a Timeless Journey. Cemex-Agrupación Sierra Madre-BirdLife International.