Welcome to our 2023 environmental, social and governance (ESG) report, which outlines the collective impact of our ESG initiatives and commitments to drive our strategy and the just transition to a carbon-neutral, sustainable future.
Dr Nombasa Tsengwa
Chief executive officer (CEO)
As we mark 18 years since Exxaro's inception, we reflect on the opening of the Hlobane coal mine over a century ago. This heritage is a catalyst for our ongoing progress and fuels our dedication to powering better lives in Africa and beyond.
Our commitment to ESG best practice has steered our operations amid the clarion call for a sustainable future. 2023 saw us deepen this commitment, shaping our operations and strategies to meet the challenges of a changing world. Central to our approach to ESG is our newly endorsed unified ESG framework and overarching policy, which is set for approval in 2024. These serve as the backbone of our efforts to manage and mitigate our negative impacts while maximising our positive contributions to society and ensuring the sustainability of our business.
Our Social Impact strategy is essential for fostering mutually beneficial relationships with our stakeholders and thereby enhancing our business's sustainability. To bolster this strategy, during 2024, we will complete a baseline assessment of community needs to enable target setting aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our enterprise and supplier development (ESD) programme has also made significant strides, investing over R1 billion into empowering youth and women-led businesses since 2018, benefiting communities across Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
We have also made significant progress in our Climate Change Response strategy by creating a comprehensive decarbonisation roadmap with an ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.These steps are aligned with more stringent environmental regulations on the horizon. A tangible representation of our commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy is the Lephalale solar project (LSP). Slated to reduce scope 2 emissions by 27% upon completion, this project underscores our balanced approach to energy provision, complementing our core coal business while we transition towards cleaner energy solutions.
This year, we have progressed significantly in implementing our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategy. This commitment was brought to life through interactive sessions at Belfast and Grootegeluk. We take pride in the fact that women constitute 25% of our workforce, a figure that stands out in the mining industry. At the Top Empowerment Awards, we were recognised in the DEI category and were finalists in the same category at the World Sustainability Awards. Being included in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) is not only an honour but also a driving force towards greater inclusivity and equality in our industry. These awards and accolades are not just symbols of distinction but testaments to the values we uphold and the inclusive future we are building.
Our dedication to sustainable business has been recognised with a second-place award in the 2023 ESG Investing Awards. Our consistent performance in ESG reporting has also earned us the Best Sustainability Reporting Award in the Metals and Mining category at the ESG Reporting Awards, reflecting recognition from our peers and the broader market.
Looking
ahead
We stand ready to apply what we have learned in a way that propels us forward. We are poised to engage with the future of energy with the same dedication and focus that has seen us through the past years. This is the essence of our story – a tale of resilience, learning and a steadfast commitment to making a sustainable impact. It is a narrative we carry into the future as we continue to shape an enduring legacy in powering possibility.
Report Index
IR