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

OVERVIEW CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT
chairman’s
statement
The role of big business in society has rarely been under such
close scrutiny. Greater transparency and accountability, and
continuing to maximise the contribution of our activities to the
societies where we operate, are how we can demonstrate our
commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen.
I believe that
we should play
our part, along
with other
stakeholders,
in formulating
a new informal
‘social compact’
for business.
Sir John Parker
In recent times, big business has come under increasing
pressure to play a stronger role in society, demonstrating
greater solidarity in what have been difficult economic
times. We need to be responsive to these concerns, which
we see play out across the countries in which we operate.
Of course we need to continue to make the case for the
unique role of the private sector in generating wealth,
combating poverty and promoting development. But as
a company, unique among our peers, with 86% of our
activities in emerging economies and nearly a century’s
operating experience, we need to demonstrate this
commitment in the way we run our business and through
our actions on the ground.
This report sets out our approach: how we go beyond job
creation, payment of taxes, royalties and dividends – all
important wealth drivers in their own right – to leverage our
supply chain, nurture entrepreneurship, develop human
talent and capacity in and around our operations, contribute
to healthier and better educated communities, foster local
economies and work to eliminate, minimise or mitigate the
disturbance our activities can sometimes cause.
Some of the concerns that people have about the role of
business in society stem from a lack of trust. To combat
this, I believe that we should play our part, along with other
stakeholders, in formulating a new informal ‘social compact’
for business that encourages greater transparency, better
governance, a shared understanding of the role and value
of business to society, and accountability for our actions –
of which this report forms part.
Delivering benefits to society
As a mining company, our presence and activities create
valuable products that make people’s lives better and which
are crucial for the world’s ongoing development and, with
it, poverty reduction. Our large footprint in the developing
world means our capacity to contribute to the social and
economic development of vulnerable communities beyond
mining, is significant. The sustainability of our business is
inextricably linked to the sustainable development of the
communities around our operations.
To be able to make meaningful change, we have to be
prepared to engage, and understand what really matters to
people living near our operations. For many years we have
worked to improve the way we operate so we can respond to
our stakeholders’ needs. We have led the way in such areas
as: small and medium-sized business creation; community
engagement and development using our internationally
acclaimed Socio-Economic Assessment Toolbox (SEAT);
and healthcare through our leading workplace health and
wellness programmes to combat HIV/AIDS and TB.
Recent initiatives in countries like Brazil, Chile and
South Africa are helping to build municipalities’ capacity
to deliver improved services to their citizens; while other
initiatives support partner-led interventions to strengthen
community healthcare in under-served areas, particularly
in South Africa and Brazil.
We seek to improve the health of developing nations
through our support of the Global Alliances for Vaccines
and Immunisations (GAVI) and the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, TB and Malaria, to which we have pledged $6 million
over three years.
Transparency and Accountability
We are taking a leading role in promoting greater
accountability and transparency in the mining sector. We
are driving a debate around certification currently taking
place within the industry which aims to ensure that mining
products are seen to have been sourced responsibly.
We believe it is both necessary and beneficial to work
responsively with concerned stakeholders to achieve this.
At the same time as seeking to push the boundaries, we
remain firm supporters of existing initiatives such as the
Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative, the UN Global
Compact, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human
Rights, and contribute to sustainability in mining through
our involvement in the International Council on Mining
and Metals.
Strong boards
The Board is the custodian of good governance and the
steward of company values; as such, it is responsible for
ensuring an organisation acts at all times and in all places
with consistency, integrity and high ethical standards.
Our own Board believes that, to be successful, sustainability
considerations need to be integral to all areas of our
business, such as in the design and evaluation of our
projects, mine planning and decommissioning, and the
ways in which capital is allocated to fund our projects.
02 Anglo American plc Sustainable Development Report 2012