The mining industry has a traditionally notorious reputation—not just for causing environmental devastation, but also for the poor treatment of workers and communities surrounding its mines. But this is gradually changing as companies are starting to make a name for themselves through valuing and prioritising environmental and sustainability-related issues.
Diversified miner Exxaro Resources, which operates in the coal mining and renewable energy generation sectors, won the Best Sustainability Reporting Award in the Metals & Mining category in the 2021 Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting Awards. The ESG Reporting Awards assesses and evaluates companies around the world on sustainability and climate-related reporting.
Exxaro goes beyond mere environmental impact and related governance issues, such as climate change. It takes a holistic approach to ESG, recognising that the well-being of its host communities is closely intertwined with stakeholder value creation and national economic performance. Thus, it aims to achieve ‘value beyond compliance’ and sustainability in all operations.
Another company recognised for its sustainability efforts in the industry is gold mining company Newmont. As of this year, it has been recognised as the top-ranked gold miner for the sixth consecutive year in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). In its 2020 Annual Sustainability Report, Newmont managed to meet its target of reducing water consumption by 5% based on a 2016 baseline.
The DJSI is the first global sustainability benchmark that tracks the stock performance of the world’s leading companies in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria. It serves as a benchmark for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios.
Orion Minerals, an Australian-based diversified metal exploration and development company, has received the Australian-Africa Minerals & Energy Group (AAMEG)’s inaugural Emerging ESG Leader Award in its development of the Prieska Copper-Zinc Project in South Africa. The award acknowledges Orion’s exemplary work in the ESG space, the relationships it has forged with its host communities and its contribution to the socio-economic development in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province.
These achievements signify critical strides in the industry, paving the way for further development in the realm of ESG, enactment of change and re-shaping of the battered reputation of the mining industry. These are goals that every mining company can and should play a part in.
Clean Mining, a part of Clean Earth Technologies, has a practical and concrete operational-level solution for gold mining companies. Sharing a similar goal to offer transformational change for the industry, Clean Mining is working to transform gold production worldwide with a new mineral processing technology that eliminates harmful cyanide and mercury in the gold recovery process.
West Australian gold mining company NuFortune has taken the proactive step to be cyanide-free with operations that will adopt non-toxic gold processing. NuFortune has recently secured an AUD$28 million funding for its Radio Gold Mine Development and will leverage on Clean Mining’s technology and is set to be the first “Clean Gold” producer in 2022.
Clean and non-toxic, Clean Mining’s gold recovery agent aims to set a new ‘gold standard’ for miners around the world and presents the opportunity for a paradigm shift in the way mining companies are perceived. That will contribute to a more positive and hopeful outlook for the mining industry.
Clean Mining is part of the Clean Earth Technologies group.
