MINING
In terms of its regulatory environment, the industry has long been at the forefront of ESG reporting. This has been supported in part by the Mining Charter Requirements of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange( JSE) Listings Requirements, the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act( MPRDA), and voluntary bodies and associations such as the International Council on Mining and Metals( ICMM), the World Gold Council( WGC), the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative( EITI), the UN Global Compact, and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights( VPSHR). Today, however, South Africa’ s mining industry is demonstrating how, when coupled with innovation and accountability, a deeply rooted culture of compliance can evolve into a powerful engine for competitive and responsible growth.
On the‘ E’ front, the two ESG issues that stand out here are water management and emissions control. Water management has been a contentious issue in the mining environment, as South Africa is a water-scarce country. In response to that, The Department of Water and Sanitation( DWS) introduced the National Water Amendment Bill, which incorporates stringent regulatory provisions with substantial implications for the mining sector. The Minerals Council continues to engage the DWS to reassess how punitive their amendments could be to the sector. Despite this, many mining companies have since begun restructuring their operations, contemplating how to become better water stewards.
Organisations like Anglo American have been particularly ambitious in both their water targets and the recycling initiatives aimed at a“ waterless mine” future. Another effort at improved stewardship is protecting water quality. Companies are investing in better waste management such as lining tailings dams and dry stacking tailings to prevent acid drainage into rivers. In 2004, Anglo American Thermal Coal( Pty) Ltd and BHP Billiton Energy Coal( Pty) Ltd formed a joint venture to develop a water reclamation scheme now referred to as the eMalahleni Water Reclamation Plant( EWRP), which comprises a reticulation system that pumps mine-affected water from several mines in the eMalahleni area for treatment at the EWRP. Collaborations such as the eMalahleni Water Reclamation Plant have set a template. Through a partnership that saw several mines jointly build a plant purifying acid mine drainage into clean water, the local municipality continues to be supplied with up to 20 million litres of potable water per day.
Emission management remains an important consideration for the industry due to its energy intensity. The mining industry consumes an estimated 30 % of the power generated in South Africa, particularly deep-level mining operations and mineral processing plants( most notably, smelters and refineries). Mining companies are aggressively pursuing ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions, particularly Scope 1 and 2 emissions. A key move has been the shift to renewable energy. Several
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