Environment

Vision 2020 is the unified environmental vision that covers all of our operations:

• Verifiable compliance: We are committed to meeting environmental standards and demonstrating compliance with internal and external regulations
• Cost and risk management: We are committed to leveraging technology and innovation to protect the environment, delivering administrative and contract management efficiencies, and ensuring optimal use of water resources
• Awareness, stewardship and communication: We are working to align and adhere to internationally recognised policies, guidelines, and principles to protect and grow environmental reputation, positively influence legislation and policymaking, and engage in research that provides key insights
• Environmental footprint management: We are committed to proactive management of land, air, and waste, and engage in effective socio-economic closure planning
• Community engagement and buy-in: Engagement with key stakeholders and communities is key to raising awareness of environmental issues and minimising impact

Water is a critical resource and is important to every aspect of our operations. We take an integrated approach to the management of our water footprint and have committed to the responsible use of water in a manner which is sustainable to production and to our host communities. We are committed to using alternative available underground water sources to replace purchased water and are identifying and reducing the waste of water through the improved meter, water balance management, leak detection, and repair initiatives.

We monitor and measure emissions from direct fuel sources, such as diesel, as well as indirect emissions associated with purchased electricity and materials, for greenhouse gas emission monitoring and reporting and atmospheric emission license compliance requirements. Within our air quality efforts, control of dust from tailings storage facilities is a key focus area.

Climate change is one of the most pressing global environmental challenges of our time, and we are committed to contributing to a global solution by proactively managing our carbon footprint. We strive to reduce our carbon emissions year-over-year with an aim to reduce emissions annually by an average of 2.1%.

The implementation of energy efficiency projects has been instrumental in the continuous reduction of our carbon footprint. These include initiatives relating to ventilation optimization at our gold operations, compressed air optimisation projects at our PGM operations, and the installation of solar arrays.

Protection of the biological resources near our activities is a key element of our environmental strategy. We continually monitor all operational activities that can potentially impact the mine site environmental management plans. In addition, at each operation we develop biodiversity action plans to avoid and mitigate any impact on sensitive species, habitat or ecosystems. These include programs to remove alien and invasive vegetation implemented in South Africa by way of local economic development projects.

• Sibanye-Stillwater’s PGM and Gold tailings storage facilities’ information (240kb)
• Lonmin – WPL TSFs (124kb)
• Lonmin – Karee TSFs (114kb)
• Lonmin – Easterns TSFs (112kb)
• Lonmin – Baobab TSFs (84kb)

We are committed to the responsible storage, handling and disposal of solid and hazardous waste, focusing first on minimizing the generation of waste and residue, then on recycling and re-using waste or by-products. When material cannot be recycled, we dispose of it in an acceptable way.

We recognize our responsibility to return land disturbed by mining to stable and productive post-mining uses. Reclamation planning begins in the early stages and is regularly updated throughout the life of each mining operation. This process entails an extensive analysis of land use options, environmental factors and community development concerns and objectives and involves dialogue and collaboration with host communities and other stakeholders.

We work closely with regulators across all our operations and adjust our closure plans as regulatory requirements evolve.