Endangered bontebok antelope at Vergelegen estateTo monitor and measure our biodiversity performance, we use a system of third-party environmental-management-system audits and biodiversity peer reviews.
These provide operations with guidance on how to improve their performance and achieve full compliance with Anglo American standards, as well as to promote learning and to share good practices.
Since the peer-review programme began in 2005, 73 such reviews have taken place – 6 of those were during 2011.
Partnership with Fauna & Flora International
Our NGO partner
Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has made a valuable
contribution to our review process.
In 2010, FFI introduced high-level biodiversity risk assessments (HLBRAs) to the BAP review process. These are designed to help operations understand the biodiversity risks and opportunities at their sites in order to build a robust business case to support the implementation of BAPs.
Every operational BAP is based on a detailed understanding of the biodiversity value at stake, including baseline assessments categorising the types and vulnerabilities of ecosystems on which we may have an impact. The HLBRAs conducted by FFI involved mapping the operational footprint on the underlying biodiversity protected areas information. This is helping us to determine the proximity of operations to these areas, as well as the related risks and opportunities. The outcomes of these risk assessments have been integrated into BAPs to improve biodiversity and conservation management.