Group Operations Safety receives a high priority across the Group. During 2012, we  implemented further strategies and initiatives to enhance safety performance  and increase awareness throughout our operations. To address the  significant challenges in emerging regions, a rigorous benchmarking  process was completed during the year which will enhance our existing  structures and support our safety strategies in these regions. Trading conditions in many of our key markets remained challenging in  2012. We responded with a continued focus on improving efficiencies,  adjusting our cost base and increased attention to procurement across the  Group. In addition, we continued to adjust our portfolio of investments to  strengthen the Group. We concentrated on actions within our control, scaling our capacity  and managing our costs to adapt to changing demand patterns across  our businesses. We remain resolute in managing our cost base. Having  delivered over €2.2 billion of cost savings in the past 5 years, we have  identified further cost reductions of €0.3 billion in the three-year period to  the end of 2015. Our operational teams continued to focus on initiatives to maximise our  performance and improve product quality and service to our customers.  Examples range from the increased use of alternative fuels in our cement  plants and recycled asphalt paving in our heavyside business, through  to providing engineered solutions to our customers in building products  and delivery optimisation in our distribution networks. In addition, we  achieved further progress through Group-wide initiatives, leveraging our  size, scale and expertise. Our global procurement programme continued  to deliver significant benefits through increased co-ordination and  further investment in processes and technology. Above all, the key to  the success of these programmes is in the calibre of our teams and  collaboration across the Group. For 2013, we will continue to focus on cost effectiveness and operational  performance by combining strong local operations with an effective sharing  of Group resources and capabilities. We are confident that these targeted  actions taken by CRH will provide sustained benefits to the Group in the  years ahead. “Our operations teams  continued to focus on  initiatives to maximise our  performance and improve  product quality and service  to our customers. In addition,  we achieved further progress  through Group-wide  initiatives, leveraging our size,  scale and expertise.” Albert Manifold CRH 21