We are committed to protecting natural resources including water, biodiversity, air and surrounding ecosystems.
We work hard to be responsible stewards of the environment and treat natural resources with care so that they are available for future generations.
From exploration through to the closure of our operations and beyond, the preservation and rehabilitation of the surrounding landscapes is front of mind.
Our approach to environmental management is guided by the ICMM Mining Principles and associated Position Statements, supported by our Sustainability Policy and managed through our internal standards.
Our internal environment standard applies to all exploration, major projects and operations under the operational control of South32, and requires that clear roles and responsibilities for environmental management are established. 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 biodiversity and ecosystems and have committed to no net loss for all new projects and major expansions.
It’s our responsibility to minimise the impacts of land clearing and to rehabilitate land disturbed by our activities.
We proactively manage contamination risks and undertake effective mine closure planning.
To protect and maintain the diverse bird populations, Cerro Matoso plants thousands of native trees every year.
Read the full story on page 70 below.
