Exxaro is pleased to announce that four of its brilliant young employees, Simone Naicker, Basetsana Malekele, Makolo Kanku and Muhammad Jassat have been selected to be part of the United Nations Global Compact’s prestigious Young Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) Innovators Programme.
The programme prides itself in cultivating the next generation of changemakers and Exxaro is exceptionally honoured that its young talent is getting an opportunity to benefit from the mentoring and capacity building that the Young SDGs Innovators Programme is known for.
“The objectives of the Programme align perfectly with Exxaro’s Growth and Impact Strategy, making our participation a no-brainer. We will hopefully be the first of many Exxaro cohorts that go through this programme and return with new and innovative ways of working that will contribute to making our great organisation even greater,” said Jassat, a specialist on decarbonisation.
Exxaro aims to foster a culture of adaptability to the ever-changing world, encouraging employees to learn and improve in everything they do. As change is inevitable, based on current social, economic, and technological realities, the company aims to be agile and create new opportunities to move the group forward as a collective.
Exxaro believes that its people are at the centre of its success and that it harnesses value from its workforce’s diversity of thinking.
Mongezi Veti, Executive Head Sustainability at Exxaro Resources, said mining companies can develop the next generation of technologies that could drive sustainability.
“While we continue to move towards our goal of net zero carbon emission, we are now at the cusp of a green transformation revolution in the sector. As an industry we must be at the forefront of innovative new low-carbon technologies and energy-efficient operations. Therefore, we are very proud of these young flag bearers who will carry the torch for a sustainable, responsible future and play an important role in helping us to do our part in fighting carbon induced climate change,” he said.
This 10-month Young SDGs Innovators Programme activates future business leaders and changemakers to develop and drive innovative solutions through modern technologies, initiatives, and business models. It also helps them deliver on their company’s sustainability objectives and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Ensuring a competitive advantage through sustainable innovation and digitalisation remains key to Exxaro’s strategy going forward. In this regard digital and technological innovation opens avenues to improve productivity, safety, and environmental management in the mining industry.