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“sustainability balance sheet”, if you will. It began Safety is a big challenge for South Africa’s
as a purely technical programme, but it didn’t take mining sector. How will your work on
long to understand that environmental impacts, innovation improve safety?
with people impacts – communities – were really Safety is our number one priority.
an integral part of our Sustainable Mining Plan. In We’ve been on a journey to fundamentally
many ways, FutureSmart Mining™, in a technical change our safety performance, particularly around
sense, grew a heart and is driving us towards our fatalities. What we’re seeing is that there is a need
sustainability and responsibility goals. for a new generation of engineered controls to
reduce the exposure of people to risk in the work
Why do you think South Africa needs to process.
embrace innovation to secure the future of the In an underground environment, the way we
mining industry? will address that effectively is to remove colleagues
The reality is that mining will have to be very from high risk areas, and that’s where remote
different if it is to thrive for years to come in technologies and rock-cutting play a role.
South Africa and elsewhere. For us, innovation is If you look at most underground mines
about more than the disruptive technologies that around the world, they are constrained around
will continue to transform our business. It is about their strategic development and never have
integrating broad innovative thinking with enough stoping areas open to get flexibility of
sustainability in all its forms – environmentally, grade if the rock conditions aren’t what they
socially, economically and politically. expected. I would expect that, if we can change
Our belief is that we must be sustainable and Donovan Waller the whole nature of the development of
innovative to supply everything the world needs. underground mining – for example, by using
In other words, we are committed to continually working to combine rock-cutting, shock-break and technologies for hard-rock cutting – some of the
improving safe, responsible production and hydraulic hoisting solutions (modern mine) to underground mines today that are stressed in
reducing our physical footprint to become carbon remove the need for a new shaft, replacing it with terms of cost will be safer and more competitive,
neutral and positive in biodiversity, while adding a pipe instead. in line with open pits.
value to the development of our communities in In addition, by pumping material to the surface
South Africa. or to other backfill locations, this new mining Some would argue that there are a
South Africa itself can embrace this step-change process should incur significantly lower operating number of companies that are also thinking
challenge and compete on the world stage with and capital costs. about innovation. How well do you compare
other mining jurisdictions. The conversations at . We have brought bulk ore sorting to our against other mining companies, particularly
play are encouraging and it is exciting that South Mogalakwena Platinum mine in Limpopo following those that also have operations in South
Africa has an opportunity to host a new, modern a successful implementation at El Soldado Copper Africa?
mining industry that will continue to play a mine in Chile. I believe our programme has a holistic focus. It
positive role in shaping and driving the country’s This technology brings substantial energy, water looks at the entirety of mining – from what we
growth and development. and overall productivity benefits by rejecting waste extract, to our impact on communities, the
Anglo American sees this opportunity through rock earlier in the process. environment, the value our shareholders get in
our FutureSmart Mining™ approach. It is our . We have already embraced various return and how this lands up in one shape or
innovation-led approach to sustainable mining and technologies, including autonomous vehicles to another in products that people use in modern life
encompasses step-change innovation that will improve productivity and safety, as well as the use across the world.
transform the nature of our industry – and society of drones to collect data and conduct aerial In one of our recent analyst forums, we received
– from how we mine, process, move and market monitoring at Kumba Iron Ore’s Kolomela and some very encouraging feedback.
our products, to how we partner with our Sishen mines. There is a renewed sense that Anglo American
stakeholders in South Africa, our operations across . Another exciting development that we are is the leader in innovative and sustainable mining,
the world and throughout our global value chains. proud of is our Sustainable Mining Plan. We and that this positions us well in the medium
launched the plan last year as part of our term as we have the best and clearest growth
Why is this kind of thinking important for FutureSmart Mining™ approach, which sets out a strategy among our global peers.
South Africa? series of deliberately ambitious commitments to So it’s clear from some of this feedback that the
If South Africa’s mining sector is going to be achieve by 2030, alongside milestones in 2020 and market is starting to see FutureSmart Mining™ for
competitive, we must be smarter and more cost- 2025. the game-changing potential it has and as a great
effective by using new (and existing) technologies One of the stretch goals we have, as part of the differentiator from our peers.
and integrated thinking on sustainability to Sustainable Mining Plan, is to position our schools
materially improve how we operate, and how we in our host communities within the top 20% of Have you ascribed any potential financial
deliver value for all of our stakeholders. The state schools by 2030. gains to the implementation of FutureSmart
Sustainable Mining Plan is driving us towards Last year, we identified 100 schools and 100 Mining™ within Anglo American? If so, how
making mining more sustainable than before. early childhood development centres to participate will Anglo American benefit from this?
It’s clear that, to transform the debate about the in the programme in partnership with the Through the technology and innovation work,
nature of mining, we must bring everyone with us department of basic education and with the as part of FutureSmart Mining™, we expect to see
on the journey. We cannot reimagine mining in support and endorsement from Basic Education a $1 billion uplift in earnings before interest, taxes,
isolation. By partnering and using open innovation Minister Angie Motshekga and her team. depreciation and amortisation by the end of 2022.
principles, we are accessing many more We are making good progress on this front and Of course, these are gains that will happen
technologies and approaches than we would have expect to see some positive results in the next few across the company, but with more than a third of
done otherwise. years. our shareholders in South Africa – including the
You can see from the examples I’ve given that pensions of hundreds of thousands of South
What are some examples that point to the FutureSmart Mining™’s impact is clearly substantive Africa’s public sector employees – I expect they
practical application of FutureSmart Mining™ in given its broad scope and ambition. It will will be pleased to see these kinds of material
South Africa, as well as the potential value it is certainly transform and redefine Anglo American returns.
creating or will create? over the next few years. This is in addition to the environmental and
Some examples stand out in our FutureSmart It will also lead in changing the nature of societal gains that we will achieve through this
Mining™ efforts in South Africa: mining and its place in the world, and, certainly in programme – all of this is important for South
. At our Amandelbult Platinum mine, we are our view, for the better. Africa’s mining sector.
ANGLO AMERICAN 25 REASONS TO BELIEVE 55