We work hard to be responsible stewards of the environment and aim to safely manage tailings, reduce waste, rehabilitate land disturbed by our activities and leave a positive legacy in host communities.
Our approach to environmental management is guided by the ICMM Mining Principles and the associated ICMM Position Statements. Our commitment to environmental management is supported by our Board-approved Sustainability Policy and managed through our internal standards.
Our internal environment and climate change standard applies to all South32 employees, contractors and visitors, across our operations, functions, projects and exploration activities where we have operational control. Our systems and internal standards are regularly reviewed to ensure they reflect current legal requirements and industry guidelines.
Our internal environmental standard requires that processes are in place to enable continuous improvement relevant to environmental performance, at both the Group and the operational level, including key environmental performance targets and objectives. It also requires that processes to track and monitor progress against the agreed plans are in place. Our environmental management is supported by EQuIS, a global environmental data management system that enables data recording and information sharing across the business. Our environment-related data and management systems are subject to both internal and external assurance processes. These processes assist us to evaluate the efficacy of our management approach and we use findings to continuously improve.
We recognise the importance of protecting biodiversity and ecosystem services and aim to achieve no net loss for all new projects and major expansions.
It is our responsibility to minimise the impacts to the environment and to rehabilitate land disturbed by our activities.
Water is a valuable resource that we share and is critical to the sustainability of communities, the environment and our business. In many of the areas where we operate, water is scarce, and we manage risks associated with water security and access for our operations and communities.
We are taking near and long-term action to minimise and, where possible, avoid any negative impacts on water availability and quality for the future of our business, local communities, and the environment.
The safe management of tailings storage facilities (TSFs) is essential to protect the environment and surrounding communities. We are committed to implementing the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) at all South32 operated TSFs.
We are committed to reducing waste generated from our operations and managing contamination and other air emissions to minimise any impact on neighbouring communities and the environment. The safe management of waste and other emissions from our operations and projects, including managing contamination risks, is essential to operating responsibly.
From exploration through to closure and beyond, we seek to minimise our impacts and maximise opportunities for the surrounding environments. We undertake progressive rehabilitation where possible and aim to leave a positive legacy in our host communities.
Preparing a mine closure plan at this relatively early stage in the mining lifecycle has provided the opportunity to integrate mine closure planning, risk assessment and financial provision into the overall development plan of a greenfield project.
South32 is providing funding to support AWC’s Mount Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary conservation project, which is helping to re-establish, monitor and protect significant populations of threatened mammal species in Western Australia, as well as going towards other initiatives.
Colombia has the greatest diversity of bird species in the world and is a habitat for 20 per cent of all birds globally. The forests surrounding Cerro Matoso are home to at least 280 different bird species, with some classified as threatened.
