Creating Value with the Future in Mind - Anglo American South Africa

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SUPPORTING DIALOGUE AT quellaveco
In 2011 we launched an intensive
stakeholder dialogue process at our
Quellaveco copper project in the south
of Peru. It was established in order to
address civil society concerns about
potential negative impacts of the
project, in particular on water in what
is an arid region. We are pleased to
report that, after 18 months of detailed
negotiations, the dialogue was
successfully concluded in July 2012
with agreement on a series of
commitments by Anglo American.
Key undertakings we have made
include:
••
Additional infrastructure works to
deliver a significant increase in water
availability for agriculture
••
Major changes to the mine closure plan
••
Local hire, local training, supplier and
enterprise development initiatives
••
Environment programmes to better
understand and protect local wetlands,
fauna and flora
••
Joint monitoring, with civil society and
local government representatives, of
compliance with our commitments.
Perhaps the most important feature of
the ‘dialogue table’ was the readiness
of all participants to take time to listen
to the concerns of others, and the much
deeper understanding that ensued:
in local communities about the
transformational opportunities
that such a major investment
offers for local development; and
of how risks can be effectively
managed in a modern mining
operation. And, just as importantly,
a better understanding within
Anglo American of community
interests and concerns.
Though difficult at times, the
dialogue built considerable trust
between stakeholders. This is a
positive start for Quellaveco and
a unique experience for a mining
project in Peru – a country that
has seen much controversy around
the extractives sector. We at
Anglo American are proud of the
positive difference we are making.
But we are equally conscious that
there will be bumps along the road
as we move towards development
of such a major project. Robust
implementation of our commitments
and ongoing, open dialogue with our
stakeholders will be crucial.
Images
01 Copper’s infrastructure manager in Peru,
Eduardo Serpa, was Anglo American’s
chief negotiator.
02 Process manager Gonzalo Manrique shows a
model of the proposed mine and processing
facilities to dialogue table representatives
from the local Moquegua community.
Our approach
Developing collaborative
partnerships
We believe that finding solutions to
the increasingly complex societal
challenges will require meaningful
collaboration between business,
government, civil society, labour
and research bodies. We thus place a
very strong emphasis on developing
partnerships with a broad range of
stakeholders. Some examples of
current partnerships include:
••
Tripartite and MIGDETT, a
collaboration on health and safety
between business, organised labour
and the Department of Mineral
Resources in South Africa
••
The International Council on
Mining and Metals, to improve
our sustainable development
performance and that of the wider
mining sector
••
Endeavour and Fondo Esperanza,
to build the capacity of small and
medium enterprises and suppliers
in Chile
••
CARE International, on
developmental issues
••
Fauna & Flora International, to
help us understand and address
biodiversity challenges
••
International Alert, to promote
and implement conflict-sensitive
business practice
••
Initiative for Responsible
Mining Assurance, to explore
ethical certification options for
mining operations
••
The University of Queensland’s
Sustainable Minerals Institute,
on safety, risk management
and education on social
performance issues
••
The University of Cambridge
Programme for Sustainability
Leadership, to provide education
on social performance issues and
research about leadership in the field
of sustainability
••
Inter-American Development Bank,
to explore cooperation in areas
of enterprise development and
community development in
Latin America
••
The Development Bank of Southern
Africa, to build municipal capacity in
South Africa.
Through these and other partnerships
we seek to identify practical
opportunities aimed at ensuring
mutually beneficial outcomes.
Anglo American plc Sustainable Development Report 2012 17