About us

South32 established.

Set up our capital management framework.

Joined ICMM (International Council on Mining and Metals).

Paid our first dividend to shareholders.

Developed values and policies that outlined our expectations about how we work together and behave towards each other, including our Code of Business Conduct and our Risk Management Framework.

Committed to supporting the goals of the Paris Agreement and developed Our Approach to Climate Change, focusing on climate change opportunity, resilience and emissions reduction. 

Set our long-term goal of achieving net zero operational GHG emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2050 and published our first GHG emissions reduction target to keep our Scope 1 GHG emissions below the FY15 baseline by FY21.

Commenced on-market share buyback as part of our capital management program.

Published our inaugural ‘Our Approach to Climate Change’ disclosure, in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). 

Invested US$1.8 million in addressing the pay equity gap.

Restructured our business to consolidate global functions and create a centralised marketing model and global business services that support our evolving portfolio of operations and development options. 

Began assessing our operational resilience to the physical impacts of an extreme climate change scenario. 

Rolled out new emissions reduction initiatives at our operations, including the Cannington solar farm and Worsley Alumina biomass fuel trial to reduce energy coal consumption. 

Completed the acquisition of Arizona Mining (Hermosa); one of the most exciting base metals projects in the industry.

Shared our vision for reconciliation in our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

Completed decarbonisation concept studies for Worsley Alumina and Illawarra Metallurgical Coal.

Detailed our approach to tailings management in support of ICMM's Global Tailings Review to develop an international standard for tailings management.

Formed the Ambler Metals Joint Venture for the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects in north-west Alaska.

Supported our communities with disaster relief and pledging US$7 million for our COVID-19 community response.

Launched our Innovate RAP to raise the bar on our previous commitments.

Reviewed the climate change positions of our industry associations.

Exited carbon-intensive and lower returning businesses, completing the divestments of South Africa Energy Coal and the TEMCO manganese alloy smelter.

Achieved our first GHG emissions reduction target, keeping our Scope 1 GHG emissions below the FY15 baseline.

Announced our medium-term target to halve our operational GHG emissions by 2035 compared to our FY21 baseline.

Commenced our safety improvement program, a three-year global program of work designed to achieve a step change in our safety performance.

Added copper to our portfolio by acquiring a 45 per cent stake in the Sierra Gorda copper mine in Chile.

Increased our exposure to low carbon aluminium by increasing our shareholding in the hydro-powered Mozal Aluminium smelter and achieving first production from the restart of the 100 per cent renewable powered Brazil Aluminium smelter.

Completed a pre-feasibility study for the zinc-silver-lead Taylor Deposit, the first development option at Hermosa.