13 March 2018
Today, we have introduced our clear and defined Sustainable Mining Plan.
Modern society demands – and rightly so – that mining companies contribute more effectively to society by reducing our footprint while continuing to supply the world with the metals and minerals it demands.
Designed to set us apart as a leader in sustainable mining, we have focused our strategy across three main pillars: to set us apart as a trusted corporate leader, support thriving host communities and maintain a healthy environment.
And under these pillars, we have set ourselves some stretch goals to 2030, including to:
- Create five jobs off-site for every job on-site in the communities in which we operate
- Help targeted schools in host communities perform along the top 20% of state schools
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% and improve energy efficiency by 30%
Our goals are deliberately ambitious, and challenge us to continue to innovate and lead the way within the mining industry.
Underpinning the strategy are a number of critical foundations that form the common and minimum requirements for each of our operations and our business as a whole; as such, they are essential to the long-term credibility and success of our sustainability strategy and our social licence to operate.
We developed our Sustainable Mining Plan through extensive internal and external research, consulting employees and external partners (including communities in which we operate, businesses, government representatives and NGOs), and aligning closely with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which provide an important benchmark against which to measure our performance as we seek to redefine what it means to be a responsible miner.
Our Sustainable Mining Plan is born from FutureSmart Mining™, our innovation-led approach to sustainable mining, and designed to set a blueprint for the future.
We combined all our research and continuing work in innovation to create this strategy that will be encompassed by our entire organisation. Each of our operating sites will be developing their own, tailored five-year plans to respond to their local context and opportunities.
And all our employees – regardless of level or geographical location – will be living and breathing this strategy, able to make their own personal contributions to the cause.
To do this, we have set up an employee volunteering programme called “Ambassadors for Good,” which invites employees to form teams within the workplace or partner with groups in our host communities and bid for funds from Anglo American to implement projects that support and progress the sustainability strategy goals.
By introducing this strategy along with our refreshed purpose – “re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives” – we are committing ourselves to a bright and bold future for Anglo American.
This future centres on evolving and continuing to push ourselves and our employees to contribute to the wider world. It’s going to be very exciting to see this strategy take shape, and we look forward to setting ourselves apart as a sustainable mining leader.
Find out more about our Sustainable Mining Plan here.
