We recently launched our customer-focused digital traceability solution, Valutrax™, designed to provide direct access to core product information and help you trace your Anglo American-mined products from source to customer.
The metals and minerals we mine are central to the decarbonisation and electrification of the global economy and, as key ingredients for clean technology applications, have a fundamental role to play in underpinning the success of the energy transition.
At Anglo American, we are committed to producing these products in a responsible way – a commitment articulated in our Sustainable Mining Plan (SMP), which we created to foster innovation and deliver step change results across the mining value chain.
These efforts are crucial to help shape a sustainable future for our industry. They also respond to growing consumer expectations for products that are brought to them as part of an ethical value chain and are aligned with the growing trend of purchasing decisions being influenced by environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.
ValutraxTM – designed to improve value chain traceability and transparency
As key industries focus on building more resilient and sustainable supply chains, we are partnering with our customers to offer greater traceability and transparency of the origination and value chain of the metals and minerals supplied by Anglo American.
A key milestone on this journey was the launch of our proprietary digital traceability solution, Valutrax™, during Asia Copper Week, which took place in Shanghai from 14-16 November 2023. Our Executive Head of Marketing for Base Metals, Paul Ward – who oversaw the solution’s development – used the opportunity to share more information about Valutrax™ during his panel session, ‘Sustainable supply and global copper consumption’, to more than 2,000 delegates from across the copper industry.
Paul said: “We know that in their purchasing decisions, our customers value Anglo American’s longstanding reputation in sustainable mining, and our commitment to responsible business practices.
“Valutrax™ has been designed as a platform to drive greater transparency across the production and logistics chain. It enables our customers to have direct access to indicators which are relevant to their specific industries or jurisdictions, and to then make the appropriate decisions in support of their sourcing and sustainability strategies and other value drivers.”
Built on blockchain, a distributed database that allows information to be securely stored in a digital format, Valutrax™ gives participating customers access to:
- A user-friendly dashboard, which provides a comprehensive and immutable view of an Anglo American-mined product’s core information and key analytics that is expected to, in time, enable the generation of targeted action plans to specific value chains.
- A tailored view of key product provenance indicators – providing reassurance to customers that their purchase is sourced or produced in accordance with Anglo American’s sustainability standards.
A digital label can be downloaded for each product delivery, offering an at-a-glance view of key data – from provenance and carbon emissions intensity, to safety and the social impact of our operations – as well as an overview of the policies that underpin Anglo American’s approach to driving safe and sustainable operations.
Every journey begins with the first step
Our digital traceability journey began in 2018, with De Beers’ investment in Tracr™, the world’s first fully distributed diamond traceability platform which provides assurance on the provenance and authenticity of eligible natural diamonds.
A pilot version of Valutrax™ was rolled out to several Anglo American customers in late 2022. The solution is currently available to those purchasing ferronickel, copper concentrates and iron ore mined products from Anglo American, with plans under way to integrate other products in the future.
Valutrax™ represents an important component in our approach to form long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with our customers. Testament to the solution’s underlying potential are the several customer collaborations we have signed in the copper space, with the aim to explore the use of Valutrax™ to cover the portion of the value chain where our customers operate.
1 Decision points: Sharpening the pre-purchase consumer experience; June 2023 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey; PwC.
