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Environment

Managing our environmental impact

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

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.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity

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.

Water management

Water management

Water is a valuable resource that we all share and a critical input for our operations. In many of the areas where we operate water is scarce, so we need to carefully manage our use. Water is vital for local communities and the environment, and we must take action to minimise, and where possible, avoid any negative impacts on its availability and quality.

Non-greenhouse gas air emissions

Non-greenhouse gas air emissions

We are committed to managing non-greenhouse gas emissions to minimise any impact on neighbouring communities and the environment.

Waste and tailings

Waste and tailings

The safe management of waste from our operations and projects is essential to operating responsibly. We are committed to reducing waste generated from our operations.

Key documents

Our stories

IMC and Symbio Wildlife Park launch koala conservation partnership

IMC and Symbio Wildlife Park launch koala conservation partnership

Illawarra Metallurgical Coal (IMC) and Symbio Wildlife Park have launched a new three-year partnership to help support koala conservation in the Illawarra and Macarthur regions of New South Wales.

Cannington partnership a win for local biodiversity

Cannington partnership a win for local biodiversity

Our Cannington operation in Australia is partnering with Southern Gulf Natural Resource Management (NRM) to prevent invasive weeds from impacting grazing land in North West Queensland. 

Championing biodiversity at Cerro Matoso

Championing biodiversity at Cerro Matoso

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.