15 May 2014Baar, Switzerland
Glencore Xstrata (‘Glencore’) has published today its 2013 Sustainability Report. The 2013 Sustainability Report details Glencore’s performance during 2013 and provides an overview of our approach to the areas of sustainability that are considered to be material to the Group.
·Targeting Zero Harm: We believe in the possibility of a zero-harm operation and our priority remains the safety and wellbeing of our workers. Our immediate goal is to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries at all of our operations.
During 2013, we launched SafeWork, a safety initiative that aims to bring about long-term changes in behaviour and attitudes towards safety. Following a pilot project at five of our sites, we are now rolling out the SafeWork programme to all our assets.
· Engaging with our communities: Our business generates significant economic benefits for the countries in which we operate and for the communities living near to our assets. During the year, we continued our strong commitment to community development and to supporting the communities in which we operate. We invested nearly $180 million to fund initiatives that fulfil fundamental needs, such as education and health.
Our Group policy on community and stakeholder engagement was issued in 2013. Our policy addresses the potential social impact of our activities and the concerns of the communities living close to our assets. We will continue to engage with local communities in a constructive and transparent manner and work together to address any concerns that may arise.
· Practising good land management: We are aware that our global operations can have both a direct and indirect impact on the environment.
We continue to engage constructively with governments and stakeholders around climate change and to make continuous efforts to improve our operational efficiency, reduce energy consumption and implement measures to mitigate our direct greenhouse gas emissions.
· Promoting human rights: Respecting human rights is core to our approach to business. As part of our application for admission to the Plenary of the Voluntary Principles Initiative (the organisation responsible for the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights), we developed and issued a Group human rights policy during the year. Our policy
strengthens our approach to protecting human rights and the fundamental freedoms of our people and stakeholders.
Ivan Glasenberg, CEO, commented, “Glencore’s 2013 sustainability report recognises the solid progress we have made in our sustainability performance, while showing an understanding of the challenges that remain ahead of us. We believe that conducting our business safely and sustainably is our responsibility to the communities in which we operate as well as a commercial imperative.”
Finally, we are pleased to announce that Glencore has become a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). The ICMM brings together 22 mining and metals companies to improve sustainability performance across the industry. Glencore’s membership of the mining and metals industry’s leading sustainability body recognises our commitment to combine and enhance best practices for sustainability. We are looking forward to working closely with ICMM to identify, develop and implement
solutions to the sustainability challenges facing the industry today.
We welcome feedback on this report, which can be sent to
About Glencore
Glencore is one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies. As a leading integrated producer and marketer of commodities with a well-balanced portfolio of diverse industrial assets, we are strongly positioned to capture value at every stage of the supply chain, from sourcing materials deep underground to delivering products to an international customer base. The Group’s industrial and marketing activities are supported by a global network of more than 90 offices located in over 50 countries. Our diversified operations comprise over 150 mining and metallurgical sites, offshore oil production assets, farms and agricultural facilities. We employ approximately 200,000 people, including contractors.