SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In order to utilize the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we are providing the following cautionary statement.
Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “aim”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “intend”, “likely”, “plan”, “project”, “target” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts or matters of fact at the date of this prospectus supplement.
In particular, the following, among other statements, are all forward-looking in nature: plans and expectations regarding customer demand, pricing, costs, underlying drivers for growth in infrastructure, residential and non-residential activity, and macroeconomic and other trends in CRH’s markets, including onshoring, regulatory trends, and investment in technology, clean energy and manufacturing; plans and expectations regarding government funding initiatives and priorities, including the timing and amount of government funding and its effects on CRH’s business; plans and expectations regarding CRH’s strategy, expansionary capital expenditures, competitive advantages, growth opportunities, innovation, research and development and acquisitions and divestments, including the timing for completion, tax and accounting effects and expected commercial benefits; plans and expectations regarding the outcome of pending legal proceedings and provisions for environmental and remediation costs; plans and expectations regarding the timing and amount of share buybacks and dividends, including the board of directors’ policy of consistent long-term dividend growth; expectations regarding taxation of U.S. holders of our shares, including applicability of Irish Dividend Withholding Tax (DWT) and Irish stamp duty; expectations regarding the Group’s income tax reserves and returns; plans and expectations regarding equity incentive plans and pension plans; plans and expectations regarding CRH’s balance sheet, capital allocation, financial capacity, accounting policies, cash flows and working capital; expectations regarding CRH’s ability to fund its long-term contractual obligations, maturing debt obligations, capital expenditures and other liquidity requirements; plans and expectations regarding the expected benefits of CRH’s primary listing on the NYSE; plans and expectations regarding the effect of existing and future laws, rules and regulations on CRH’s business; plans and expectations regarding human capital initiatives, workplace safety, sustainability and climate change, CRH’s decarbonization targets, sustainability-related initiatives and business opportunities, including investments, and the delivery of and consumer demand for sustainable solutions and products; and plans and expectations regarding the potential impact and evolving nature of risks and CRH’s management of such risks.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and reflect the Group’s current expectations and assumptions as to such future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate.
A number of material factors could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, certain of which are beyond our control, and which include, among other factors: economic and financial conditions, including changes in interest rates, inflation, price volatility and/or labor and materials shortages; demand for infrastructure, residential and non-residential construction and our products in geographic markets in which we operate; increased competition and its impact on prices and market position; increases in energy, labor and/or other raw materials costs; adverse changes to laws and regulations, including in relation to climate change; the impact of unfavorable weather; investor and/or consumer sentiment regarding the importance of sustainable practices and products; availability of public sector funding for infrastructure programs; political uncertainty, including as a result of political and social conditions in the jurisdictions the Group operates in, or adverse political developments, including the ongoing geopolitical conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East; failure to complete or successfully integrate acquisitions or make
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