Nedbank Green Mining Awards winners announced

The Environmental Award presented to Anglo Coal’s Isibonelo Wetlands Project is innovative and extends beyond compliance. Anglo Coal and its partners pioneered ‘off-site’ wetland rehabilitation in South Africa as mitigation action for on-site wetland loss. Anglo Coal recognised that due to its Isibonelo opencast operations, a portion of the Steenkoolspruit wetlands would be destroyed. As a mitigation measure for this loss, the company committed to rehabilitate a wetland area elsewhere in the Upper Oliphants River Catchment. They created a precedent, which other mining companies are following.

Palabora Mining Company’s Palabora Foundation, winner of the Socio-Economic Award was recognized for its significant contribution in terms of social and economic upliftment of the communities surrounding the mine. Noteworthy characteristics of the Foundation’s work include, amongst others, the benefits of the programme, especially in the fields of mathematics, science and environmental education, educator development, schools governance programmes, skills development training, SMME programmes and healthcare. Whilst the concept of mines forming trusts to benefit communities that surround them is not unique, Palabora’s win demonstrates a clear intent to continuously ‘push the boundaries’ to ensure the benefits are sustained way beyond the life of the mine.

Anglo Platinum, winner in the Sustainability Category, has made a significant effort in converging economics, the environment and society for the benefit of present and future generations with its Sustainable Development Programme.  The Programme is strategic, has executive buy-in and is mainstreaming sustainability at Anglo Platinum’s operations. The Programme comprises a range of projects including the Anglo Platinum Converting Project (ACP) is acknowledged for its innovative approach to reducing sulphur emissions to well below the legal limit and in doing so setting a new standard for the platinum industry, and working with the community in resolving key issues. In particular, RPM Union Section’s Community Environmental Outreach Programme has fostered an appreciation for the environment among learners and encourages them to make a positive contribution to the environment. The project has demonstrated a fruitful partnership between the environmental and corporate social responsibility departments of the mine, whereby a shared vision has reaped tangible benefits.

Other finalists for the Awards included:

Finalist	Project
Environmental
Richard Bay Mineral	Rehabilitation
Socio-economic
Anglo Coal	Landau Colliery Rebuild Schools
Kumba	Kgalagadi Charcoal and Firewood Project

Award Categories and Objectives

The Sustainability Award will honour a company which has made a significant effort in converging economics, the environment and society for the benefit of present and future generations (thus ensuring sustainable development of mineral resources and promoting environmental, economic and social development).  These projects would typically combine environmental protection, e.g. land rehabilitation/ and or renewable energy with socio-economic development aims such as SMME-development, job creation and alleviating poverty.

The Environmental Award will honour a company, which has made a significant effort in terms of protecting or improving the biophysical environment in which it operates.  Typical examples are bio-diversity protection, material recycling, the use of renewable energy sources, innovative land rehabilitation and water conservation.

The Socio-economic Award will honour a company, which made a significant effort in terms of social and economic upliftment in the communities that it affects.  These projects can be in any number of areas, e.g. health, education, SMME-development, job creation and others or a combination of any of these factors.

The Limited Resources Award will be given to honour a smaller scale operation which has made a significant effort in terms of sustainability.  Projects nominated can be in any of the above three categories.

The Awards

The winner in each category will be awarded a floating trophy. Certificates will be awarded to the winner and two runner-up finalists in each category.

Eligibility and Adjudication Criteria

• Nominations must be related to activities as defined by the award categories.
• Activities must clearly contribute to sustainability.
• All mining and mineral beneficiation operations in Southern Africa may participate.
• The nominated activity has to have been in existence for at least a year or be sufficiently advanced to be assessed by the closing date of Friday 30 June 2006.
• There is no limit to the number of activities that any operation may nominate, as long as these are mutually exclusive.
• Only organisations with a generally accepted sustainable development record will be eligible.
• Activities should address impacts related to the operation, such as conservation initiatives to address known operational impacts, social initiatives related to social changes caused by the operation, or initiatives to promote on-going socio-economic activity following closure of the operation.
• The adjudicators will be looking for activities that have had a significant positive impact on sustainability.
• Activities should go beyond statutory compliance.

Adjudication Process

• SRK Consulting has been appointed by Nedbank to oversee the application and independent adjudication process.
• SRK Consulting will appoint a panel of three independent and expert adjudicators in consultation with Nedbank.
• All submissions will be perused and evaluated by the adjudicators.
• Adjudication will be done on the basis of the nomination supporting information.
• The adjudicators may also decide to re-allocate a nomination from one category to another if deemed appropriate.
• The adjudicators may decide not to make any award if nominations are not deemed to be of a high enough standard.
• The panel of adjudicators have the right to interview any number of applicants.
• The award winner will be selected based on the “best-in-class” principle.  (Thus the judges will compare all nominations in a specific category to one another and based on the submissions provided, will make a shortlist of three possible award candidates per category.  Each of these candidates will be interviewed and site visits may be undertaken.)
• A maximum of three finalists will be selected from the nominations and from them a winner will be selected.
• The adjudicators’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.