Our Approach

Everything we do today is geared towards ensuring a safer and more productive tomorrow. Our sustainability is founded on creative, mutually constructive relationships and common values with our stakeholders. We conduct our business activities in a way that creates success, not only for Exxaro but for society too. From how we mine to what we mine, we’re stewarding our natural assets and social capital and using them both to uplift our communities.

Our Approach

Our Commitment

Our vision is as simple as this: we want to make a positive impact on the world. We aim to power better lives in Africa and beyond by responsibly investing in commodities that will sustain life on the continent. This goal is being realised by fulfilling basic and primary needs, the things that keep us functioning as a society, through energy, water, and food. We manage to do all this through our commodities and investments in renewable energy, which we are using to fuel our future. Through our growth and innovation, we are working towards becoming an unstoppable source of endless possibilities.

Our Commitment

EXXARO’S STEWARDSHIP TIMELINE

We are committed to being an environmentally responsible organisation. We continue to drive sustainability throughout our business and build on our track record of delivery.

2006
  • Adopted Energy Efficiency Accord
2006
2008
  • Established an energy efficiency task team with voluntary champions at each BU
    • Sponsored Unisa’s chair in business and climate change for three years
    • Reported carbon emissions for the first time: 19 MT of tCO2e
2008
2009
  • Developed a comprehensive response for energy, carbon and climate change management
2009
2010
  • Introduced a major water management programme
    • Developed renewable energy projects
2010
2011
  • Launched the biodiversity, waste and air programme
    • Cennergi was formed as a standalone energy company with an international energy partner (Tata)
    • Spent R107 million on developing cleaner energy initiatives: cogeneration, carbon credit trading, renewable energy, biodiesel, coal-fed methane development, and coal baseload projects
2011
2012
  • Significantly reduced our carbon footprint
    • Cennergi became the preferred bidder for two wind energy projects to produce 234 MW
2012
2013
  • Cennergi began constructing the Amakhala Emoyeni and Tsitsikamma wind farms
2013
2014
  • Exxaro was awarded the Global Green Award for world-class sustainable environmental practices
2014
2016
  • All operations granted integrated WULs
2016
2017
  • Submitted first pollution prevention plans
    • First submission to the South African National Atmospheric Emission Inventory System
    • Submitted 2017 GHG and carbon budget reports
2017
2018
  • Cennergi paid dividends to Exxaro
2018
2019
  • Implemented new energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction projects at Grootegeluk
    • Compliance with the GHG pollution prevention plan
    • Quantification of carbon tax liability
2019
2020
  • Acquired the remaining 50% of Cennergi to increase our renewable energy contribution and reduce our carbon footprint
    • An independent assessment of our alignment with the TCFD
      recommendations was undertaken
    • Published our climate change position statement and support for the TCFD recommendations
2020
2021
  • Established the Decarbonisation Portfolio Management Office
  • Won the globally recognised ESG award: Best Sustainability Reporting and Finalist for Climate Change Reporting
2021
2022

Accolades 2022

2022
2023

Awards 2023

2023

Our unwavering focus on zero harm has enabled us to achieve our record LTIFR performance of 0.05. We focus on identifying and managing inherent processes, external risks with a hierarchy of controls, and stakeholder involvement on our journey. We believe that we can achieve zero harm through continuous improvement and proactive measures.

Safety

Health

We improve quality of life, morale, productivity and safety for our employees and communities through a health and wellness strategy that extends beyond compliance with regulations to the sustainability of our industry. The growth and sustainability of our business depend on healthy and resilient employees and host communities.

Health

Climate Change

We believe that the impact of climate change presents a serious challenge to society, our mining communities, and operations. Urgent action is required to mitigate the local and global effects of climate change. We remain focused on lowering our carbon footprint. In a fast-changing legislative environment, with the promulgation of the carbon tax from 1 June 2019, reducing GHGs is a business imperative as it could affect our financial performance. Our carbon intensity continues to show a decreasing trend as we focus on managing our electricity and diesel consumption. We expect this trend to continue as we implement initiatives to support our 2050 carbon-neutrality target.

Climate Change

The Environment

Exxaro is a responsible corporate citizen and plays an active role in protecting and preserving the environment through initiatives aimed at reducing our carbon footprint. As such, we recognise that we must contribute positively to the global goal of transitioning to a low-carbon economy while managing the immediate needs of all our stakeholders. With that in mind, we released our Climate Change Position Statement in March 2020 and our Climate Change Response Strategy in March 2021.

The Environment

Our Communities

Exxaro plays a significant role in South Africa as an employer, offering direct and indirect jobs, skills development, as well as Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) opportunities. Our socio-economic development strategy, including our approach to education and ESD, is aligned with our vision to have a positive impact on society.

We also consider the long-term perspectives of government strategies, such as the 2030 National Development Plan and the integrated development plans of the local municipalities where we operate.

In the age of worsening pollution crises and global warming, individuals and communities are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of the way we live and work at the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We remain committed to being part of the solution as South Africa works towards setting an example of sustainable development for the rest of the continent, and indeed, the world.

Our Communities

Societal Impact

Enterprise and Supplier Development

Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) refers to a set of affirmative action and local content development measures aimed at promoting economic transformation. Under the revised B-BBEE codes, ESD refers to the combination of preferential procurement, supplier diversity, supplier development and enterprise development programmes.

Societal Impact

Enterprise and Supplier Development

Learn more

Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) refers to a set of affirmative action and local content development measures aimed at promoting economic transformation. Under the revised B-BBEE Codes, ESD refers to the combination of Preferential Procurement, Supplier Diversity, Supplier Development and Enterprise Development programmes.

Closure Planning

Planning early for mine closure is critical to protect the future of the environment and society, and to uplift the surrounding communities. That’s why we prioritise closure planning and mining rehabilitation, ensuring we tick all the boxes before, during, and after the operating life of a mine.

Closure Planning

Sustainability Contact

Lusapho Njenge
Manager: Enterprise and Supplier Development
+27 87 283 9704
 
esd@exxaro.com