AngloGold Ashanti has announced its inaugural Climate Change Report 2020/21, disclosing in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
The report highlights the ways in which the company is being proactive and transparent in mitigating current and future climate risks and the measures being taken to strengthen the climate resilience of its business, its value chain partners, host communities and the environment in which it operates.
AngloGold Ashanti recognizes its role in advancing the transition to a low-carbon economy and has taken steps to support this transition, in collaboration with the International Council on Metals and Minerals (ICMM).
This year, AngloGold Ashanti joined its peers in the ICMM by committing to a target of net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050, and to accelerating action on Scope 3 emissions, including setting credible targets in partnership with our suppliers.
“In this, our inaugural Climate Report, we discuss the work being undertaken to enhance our resilience to climate change and our progress on decarbonization,” said Alberto Calderon AngloGold Ashanti’s CEO.
“We are committed to transparent reporting on the progress made to further decarbonize our business and how we are adapting to the business risks and opportunities presented by a changing climate and efforts taken to counter that.”
The company is committed to supporting the objectives of the Paris Agreement of 2015, a legally binding international treaty on climate change.
AngloGold Ashanti set its first decarbonization targets as far back as 2008, which called for a 30% reduction in emissions intensity by 2022, a goal reached in 2018, four years early. Emissions intensity in 2020 remained about 43% below the 2007 base. New decarbonization targets will be set when the company publishes its suite of annual reports for the 2021 financial year.
Report highlights:
AngloGold Ashanti’s response to climate change and its integration into the company’s operating model, driven by an updated Climate Change Strategy;
An innovative response to climate change, addressing the move to net zero by optimizing performance and operational efficiencies, contributing to the long-term sustainability of our business and enabling us to deliver our commitments to stakeholders;
Use of the latest science-based data, information and knowledge to support decision-making;
The deepening of understanding by developing a maturity approach to managing climate risks and opportunities.
To achieve the reduction in emissions over the years, AngloGold Ashanti strategically relocated and switched off large compressors in underground shafts in South Africa, and re-used waste heat from the same compressors.
The company also developed three-pipe chamber systems to recover electrical energy from sending water from surface to underground, and to assist with pumping the water to surface.
In Australia, AngloGold Ashanti switched Sunrise Dam’s generators from diesel to cleaner LNG, and after commissioning Tropicana mine, switched both to piped natural gas.
In addition, planned new projects in Colombia will be hydro-powered, adding to the company’s other hydropower sites in Brazil, Ghana and the DRC.
Smaller changes were also made that – with scale – had big impact — like replacing incandescent and cap lamp bulbs with LEDs and installing heat pumps and solar systems in accommodation units.
