Update on sustainability performance

RNS Number : 7370E

Anglo American PLC

31 October 2022

 

31 October 2022

Anglo American updates on carbon neutrality, biodiversity and responsible mining assurance

Anglo American plc ("Anglo American") is today presenting its twice-yearly sustainability performance update, including in relation to decarbonisation, net positive biodiversity and progress towards assuring all operations against recognised responsible mining standards.

Duncan Wanblad, Chief Executive of Anglo American, said: "There is growing awareness of the centrality of mining to enabling the energy transition and the contribution we can make to a more sustainable future. Recognising that many of the metals and minerals we produce are critical to the technologies required to decarbonise the world's energy and transport systems, our commitment to being part of the solution to climate change begins in our own business by meeting our emissions reduction and carbon neutrality goals. All the while, we know we also have a role to play to support host countries and communities in terms of skills, jobs and new fields of economic opportunity that are emerging. This transition must include all of society - it must be "Just".

"As a further commitment to our holistic set of sustainability ambitions, we put in place our Sustainability Financing Framework in recent months, meaningfully linking certain of our funding requirements to the stretching sustainability objectives we have set for our business. Within that framework we issued our first sustainability-linked bond, including performance targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fresh water abstraction, and to support job creation in host communities - a first of its kind for the mining sector."

Emissions reduction - progressing towards carbon neutral operations by 2040

Anglo American set a target in 2018 to reduce GHG emissions by 30% by 2030, on our pathway to achieving carbon neutrality across our operations by 2040. On-site energy requirements are the largest source of our operational emissions and we are making good progress towards their abatement. By 2023, all our South America operations will have 100% renewable electricity supply and, for southern Africa, we have partnered with EDF Renewables to develop 3-5 GW of clean generation capacity, which is expected to meet Anglo American's operational power requirements and support the resilience of local electricity supply systems. We have also set an ambition to reduce our scope 3 emissions by 50% by 2040, including by forming a number of partnerships with major steel customers to work together to unlock clean steelmaking technologies.

Biodiversity - delivering net positive impact

Anglo American's Sustainable Mining Plan commits us to achieving a net positive impact on biodiversity across our managed operations. We have completed detailed baseline assessments, defining significant biodiversity features to protect and further restore, including key habitats and species and important ecosystems. We are investing in innovative technologies and nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change impacts and water scarcity, and to nurture wildlife habitats, with biodiversity management plans for each site being integrated into our life of asset plans.  

Responsible mining - assuring all our operations against recognised standards

Anglo American has been engaging to develop responsible mining standards since 2005. Our Sustainable Mining Plan commits us to assuring all our sites against recognised responsible mining standards by 2025 and we are on track to meet that goal. We are increasingly finding that our most important customers are those whose own values and aspirations align with those of Anglo American, attributing value not only to the physical characteristics of the products we sell, but also to the ethical approach and commitments of those who produce them.

Mr Wanblad added: "The world we are living in is changing in so many ways, not least in society's expectations of businesses across many industries. We have set up Anglo American to be resilient, disciplined, opportunistic - and responsible. We have the people, the assets and the capabilities to deliver sustainable returns over the long term. It is incumbent on us to deliver the metals and minerals the world so urgently needs in the cleanest and most socially responsible way possible."

Today's Sustainability Performance presentation will be available on the Anglo American website www.angloamerican.com at 12.30pm UK time, with the presentation itself starting at 1.30pm UK time. A full recording will be available following the presentation at: www.angloamerican.com/investors/investor-presentations.

For further information, please contact:

Media		Investors
UK James Wyatt-Tilby [e-mail] Tel: [phone] Marcelo Esquivel [e-mail] Tel: [phone] South Africa Nevashnee Naicker [e-mail] Tel: [phone] Sibusiso Tshabalala [e-mail] Tel: [phone]		UK Paul Galloway [e-mail] Tel: [phone] Emma Waterworth [e-mail] Tel: [phone] Michelle Jarman [e-mail]   Tel: [phone]

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, with a broad range of future development options, provides many of the future-enabling metals and minerals for a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world and that meet the fast growing every day demands of billions of consumers. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to discover new resources and to mine, process, move and market our products to our customers - safely and sustainably.

As a responsible producer of diamonds (through De Beers), copper, platinum group metals, premium quality iron ore and steelmaking coal, and nickel - with crop nutrients in development - we are committed to being carbon neutral across our operations by 2040. More broadly, our Sustainable Mining Plan commits us to a series of stretching goals to ensure we work towards a healthy environment, creating thriving communities and building trust as a corporate leader. We work together with our business partners and diverse stakeholders to unlock enduring 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 document includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this document, 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 Reserve and Mineral Resource positions) 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 transport 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 document. 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 document 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 document is sourced from publicly available third party sources. As such it has not been independently verified and presents the views of those third parties, but 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

 

END

 

 

MSCFLFLIIDLLVIF