Anglo American Sustainability Performance Update

RNS Number : 5989W

Anglo American PLC

26 April 2021

 

26 April 2021

Anglo American reinforces sustainability integration and progress

Anglo American plc ("Anglo American") is today presenting its biannual sustainability performance update.

Mark Cutifani, Chief Executive of Anglo American, said: "A sustainable business is one that has an enduring purpose in society and that considers in all its decision-making the many different forms of value that it can deliver for all stakeholders, including the natural environment.

"Anglo American's Purpose of re-imagining mining to improve people's lives guides our delivery of sustainable value to our shareholders, our employees, and our broader business and societal stakeholders. Improving people's lives is what we believe sustainable businesses must deliver - both through the direct value we create in terms of employment and economic and social contribution, but also to the world at large through the metals and minerals we provide, many of which are fundamental to decarbonisation and meeting global consumer demand for everyday through to specialty and luxury products.

"With our portfolio deliberately tilted towards those future-enabling products, we know it is our duty to supply metals and minerals as responsibly as current technologies allow, while continuing to stretch ourselves and our business partners to further improve our performance.

"In early 2018 we set out a series of stretching goals spanning the full breadth of E, S and G, in the shape of our Sustainable Mining Plan, underpinned by six critical foundations. We are making good progress towards delivery on those goals but we also recognise that the world moves on, as do society's expectations of us. We have added to the original goals, including our commitment to reach net zero across our operational footprint by 2040, with roughly a third of our operations to get there a decade earlier, in 2030.

"Likewise, we have also raised the bar again in terms of our approach to social performance, with the implementation in 2020 of our Social Way 3.0, a rigorous management system to drive consistently better outcomes for host communities. Just as financial performance presents an opportunity for differentiation, we see sustainability no differently - it is integral to how we all work and plan and is central to our overall business performance. Our Sustainable Mining Plan commitments must be relevant and stretching, so we will continue to evolve them across the business.

"Much of what we are driving for, particularly in terms of our energy and water ambitions, will be achieved through the technologies we are deploying as part of our FutureSmart Mining™ programme. These technologies are transforming the very nature of mining - how we source, mine, process, move and market our products - and how our stakeholders experience our business. This is about transforming our physical and social footprints. 

"Tackling climate change could not be more urgent. For the emissions that we control in our business, we have come a long way, delivering our 2020 target to reduce GHG emissions by 22% a year early. Our securing of 100% renewable electricity supply across our operations in Brazil, Chile and Peru marks another major step, cutting CO₂ emissions from those operations by approximately 70%. And our development of a hydrogen powered mine haul truck has the potential to remove another major emission source from our business.

"At the same time, we continue working on reducing our Scope 3 emissions. Our planned demerger of our thermal coal assets in South Africa is part of the journey. However, we have a long way to go, including how we more effectively impact the value chains that we are a part of, and how best to work along value chains to mitigate the risks and maximise the benefits associated with the transition to a low carbon future. Data is always central to our analysis and we are doing the work now so that we can set out our clear ambition in October at our next update."

Anglo American's Sustainable Mining Plan is set out at:

www.angloamerican.com/sustainability/our-sustainable-mining-plan

Today's Sustainability Performance presentation is available on the Anglo American website www.angloamerican.com starting at 1.30pm UK time and a full recording will be also available following the presentation, at: www.angloamerican.com/investors/investor-presentations

For further information, please contact:

Media		Investors
UK James Wyatt-Tilby [e-mail] Marcelo Esquivel [e-mail] Katie Ryall [e-mail] South Africa Nevashnee Naicker [e-mail] Sibusiso Tshabalala [e-mail] Nomonde Ndwalaza [e-mail]		UK Paul Galloway [e-mail] Robert Greenberg [e-mail] Emma Waterworth [e-mail]

Notes to editors:

Anglo American is a leading global mining company and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive operations, development projects and undeveloped resources, provides many of the metals and minerals that enable a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world and that meet the fast growing consumer-driven demands of developed and maturing economies. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to mine, process, move and market our products to our customers - and to discover new resources - safely and sustainably.

As a responsible producer of diamonds (through De Beers), copper, platinum group metals, the steelmaking ingredients of iron ore and metallurgical coal, and nickel - with crop nutrients in development and thermal coal operations planned for divestment - we are committed to being carbon neutral across our operations by 2040. We work together with our business partners and diverse stakeholders to unlock sustainable value from precious natural resources for the benefit of the communities and countries in which we operate, for society as a whole, and for our shareholders. Anglo American is re-imagining mining to improve people's lives.

www.angloamerican.com

Forward-looking statements:

This announcement includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this announcement, including, without limitation, those regarding Anglo American's financial position, business, acquisition and divestment strategy, dividend policy, plans and objectives of management for future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to Anglo American's products, production forecasts and Ore Reserves and Mineral Resource estimates) and environmental, social and corporate governance goals and aspirations, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Anglo American, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding Anglo American's present and future business strategies and the environment in which Anglo American will operate in the future. Important factors that could cause Anglo American's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, levels of actual production during any period, levels of global demand and commodity market prices, mineral resource exploration and development capabilities, recovery rates and other operational capabilities, safety, health or environmental incidents, the effects of global pandemics and outbreaks of infectious diseases, the outcome of litigation or regulatory proceedings, the availability of mining and processing equipment, the ability to produce and transport products profitably, the availability of transportation infrastructure, the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on market prices and operating costs, the availability of sufficient credit, the effects of inflation, political uncertainty and economic conditions in relevant areas of the world, the actions of competitors, activities by courts, regulators and governmental authorities such as in relation to permitting or forcing closure of mines and ceasing of operations or maintenance of Anglo American's assets and changes in taxation or safety, health, environmental or other types of regulation in the countries where Anglo American operates, conflicts over land and resource ownership rights and such other risk factors identified in Anglo American's most recent Annual Report. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be construed in light of such risk factors and undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Anglo American expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking (except as required by applicable law, the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, the UK Listing Rules, the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority, the Listings Requirements of the securities exchange of the JSE Limited in South Africa, the SIX Swiss Exchange, the Botswana Stock Exchange and the Namibian Stock Exchange and any other applicable regulations) to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Anglo American's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Nothing in this announcement should be interpreted to mean that future earnings per share of Anglo American will necessarily match or exceed its historical published earnings per share.

Certain statistical and other information about Anglo American included in this announcement is sourced from publicly available third-party sources. As such, it has not been independently verified and presents the views of those third parties, though these may not necessarily correspond to the views held by Anglo American and Anglo American expressly disclaims any responsibility for, or liability in respect of, such information.

Legal Entity Identifier: 549300S9XF92D1X8ME43

 

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