Stakeholder engagement is integral to our SD and risk management
strategies. Xstrata’s stakeholders include the investment community,
employees, contractors, unions, governments (national, regional, local),
inter-governmental bodies, regulators, communities associated with
our operations, business and joint-venture partners, non-governmental
and development organisations, suppliers, customers and media. We
identify and engage our external stakeholders at the Group, commodity
business, regional, divisional and operational level.
More in Stakeholder engagement
Also in Our approach
Engagement is undertaken in a number of different ways with
relevant external stakeholders throughout the Group’s businesses.
Our SD Standards require stakeholder engagement to be carried out
in a fair and culturally sensitive manner, with the maximum transparency
that is commercially achievable.
The table outlines the material sustainability
issues that were the subject of engagement between Xstrata and
its external stakeholders during the reporting period.
See Material issues for an explanation of how we define materiality.
Public policy
Xstrata plays an active role in a number of significant international
and national industry organisations and multi-stakeholder groups,
through membership, funding, provision of expertise and participation
in committees and working groups. Full details of the organisations
in which Xstrata is involved are available on our website:
www.xstrata.com/sustainability.
In accordance with Xstrata’s Business Principles, no donations were
made to any political party or individuals in 2010.
Our key stakeholders
Our key stakeholders
Key findings
During November and December 2010, a consultancy undertook, on
behalf of Xstrata, an audit of perceptions held by key stakeholders
regarding the sustainability credentials of Xstrata.
Those interviewed were chosen because of their expertise in
sustainability issues and included academics, representatives from
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), sustainable and responsible
investment (SRI) analysts and independent consultants. Interviewees
were from the countries which contained major Xstrata operations,
or in the case of the UK, possessed a substantial and sophisticated
community of sustainability experts with a global outlook. In total
24 individuals were interviewed from eight countries (Argentina,
Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Peru, South Africa and the UK).
Individuals were interviewed using one-to-one meetings, telephone
interviews and focus group sessions. Participants were asked to
reply to a core set of questions related to the performance of Xstrata
across a range of key sustainability indicators. Some of the responses
are detailed below:
“ They have come quite a distance in the last few years. There has
been a serious effort put in to drive improvements in social and
environmental performance” Academic, Australia
“ I am impressed that operational managers visited sites they
didn’t know (described as best practice) but I feel that Xstrata
needs to go even further in ensuring the overall auditing
process adds as much value as possible” SRI analyst, UK
“ In general terms I view their reporting as reliable. When Xstrata
show that not everything is perfect, it generates credibility”
Academic, Colombia
“ There is a desire to hear more about the company’s thinking in
terms of business opportunities in more sustainable resources
e.g. clean coal and GHG geo-sequestration” SRI analyst, UK
“ ...we find the site and divisional reports excellent. Xstrata is
one of the few companies to provide this level of detail. We like
(and prefer to other approaches) Xstrata’s performance-focused
approach to sustainability reporting” SRI analyst, UK
“ Xstrata is honest. They are not shy to report on issues which
expose weaknesses” NGO South Africa
“ Reflecting their longer-term perspective we would like more
horizon-scanning of opportunities and threats in terms of
environmental legislation and regulation more generally”
SRI analyst, UK
