Our approach
Our framework for environmental risk and performance management spans all our operations. Each commodity business tailors its environmental management approach while remaining consistent with our global sustainability and risk management frameworks.
Environmental strategy
Our environmental strategy is to:
- identify, analyse, evaluate and monitor material environmental risks and opportunities
- address environmental risks and opportunities holistically, recognising that there are often close links between different sustainability issues (for example water, community and climate change) and other operational areas
- integrate our environmental strategy and planning processes with our overall business strategy and planning, and set priorities, objectives and targets accordingly
- ensure close alignment between material environmental risks and opportunities and the performance and management aspects we measure, track, report on and verify
- build a learning culture that continuously reviews and implements improved systems and processes for addressing our environmental risks and performance
- establish clear, strong leadership and management accountability for environmental performance, supported by staff with the necessary skills and experience
- allocate the human and financial resources needed to achieve our environmental risk and performance objectives
Environmental risks are business risks
We have put considerable effort into integrating the identification, analysis, evaluation and treatment of environmental risks into our enterprise-wide risk management framework and processes. As a result, our risk registers at the site, division, commodity business and Group level include environmental risks. This approach ensures that the whole management team is involved in the analysis and treatment of environmental risks and performance rather than just environmental specialists.
We review our environmental risks and opportunities annually during the business strategy and planning process.
This table summarises the material environmental risks and opportunities associated with our operations and business.
| Material risk or opportunity | Management objectives, priorities and actions |
|---|---|
| Energy and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions |
Making mining and metallurgical operations more energy-efficient Reducing direct GHG emissions including fugitive methane emissions from our coal mining activities Sourcing reliable and affordable energy Contributing to the development of low emissions technologies to reduce significantly carbon emissions from coal as an energy source Assessing and managing the potential physical impact of climate change on our operations and projects |
| Use of scarce natural resources, in particular water |
Reducing our reliance on fresh water through process design innovations Managing water sources in water-scarce regions in conjunction with communities and other industries Minimising harmful discharges to water and impacts on the quality of local water sources |
| Impacts on biodiversity and landscape functions (eco-services) as a result of changes in land use |
Minimising the impacts on natural ecosystems, including avoiding any net loss of any IUCN Red List species Conserving biodiversity via offsetting and protecting suitable areas to compensate for disturbance where appropriate Conserving biodiversity within our managed operations by minimising land areas disturbed where possible, relocating flora and fauna, and rehabilitating disturbed areas using local endemic species Rehabilitating sites progressively and once operations cease; managing closed sites responsibly |
| Air emissions |
Improving extraction and refining processes to reduce SOx, heavy metal and particulate emissions to air Installing and maintaining appropriate emission control equipment Monitoring ambient air quality |
| Generation and storage of waste and tailings management |
Ensuring secure and leading practice tailings and waste rock management Reducing waste and the toxicity of our waste material Minimising harmful emissions to air, water and land |
| Potential impacts on human health and the environment throughout the life cycle of our products |
Working with customers, governments and the scientific community to reduce polluting emissions (including GHGs) from burning coal Promoting the safe and environmentally responsible use, storage, transportation and disposal of our products Working with stakeholders and industry partners to test/verify the potential toxicity or impacts of our products Working with stakeholders to develop technologies to improve metals recovery, recycling and reuse |
Environmental audits
Management accountability is central to our approach and is, in part, verified through regular audits of environmental risks. We train employees on risk management and stress the importance of conducting site-specific audits. Chief executives from each of the commodity businesses regularly present on initiatives to address their material environmental risks to the Board.
Our sustainability assurance programme requires independent site audits every three years that include assessment of both environmental management systems and risks. We employ specialised experts to audit certain areas of environmental risk including closed sites, tailings dams, air emissions and water quality. The findings from these audits inform the annual sustainability improvement plans for each site. The sustainability assurance programme aligns strongly with ISO14001 and the ICMM Sustainable Development Principles.
