Land rehabilitation and management JSE: R182.09 +4.38% NYSE:$9.59 +1.54% GOLD:$2 681/oz +0.14% GOLD:R1 616 850/kg -0.7% USD:ZARR18.76 -0.88% At 16:49pm, 15 Jan 2025 Home » Sustainability » Environment » Land rehabilitation and management We aim to minimise, mitigate and remediate the adverse effects of our operations on the environment. We plan for closure from project inception to optimise post-mining land outcomes and reduce end-of-life liabilities. Where possible, we also carry out progressive rehabilitation of disturbed landforms and conduct trials, research and development projects to identify alternate land uses on mine-affected land. In FY24: Our undiscounted value of land rehabilitation liabilities amounted to R8.4 billion In South Africa, we spent R87 million on rehabilitation projects throughout the regions we operate in In Papua New Guinea, we invested R26 million to advance closure planning studies and regulatory engagement for safe and stable future closure landforms at Hidden Valley In Australia, we invested R5 million delivering our regulatory Progressive Rehabilitation and Closure (PRC) plan for Eva Copper, providing confidence that we can deliver closure outcomes that meet leading practice requirements. Our approach to land rehabilitation and management Our land rehabilitation strategy focuses on three key areas: Reducing our environmental liability and impacted footprint by: Implementing concurrent/progressive and final rehabilitation (including final land use) Mitigating the risk of illegal mining by demolishing, sealing or rehabilitating decommissioned infrastructure where it is no longer needed Embedding rehabilitation initiatives that contribute to biodiversity protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation, energy management and the circular economy. Supporting a green economy and promoting ecological value add by: Evaluating the potential for rehabilitated land to support carbon reduction efforts Repurposing mined land into tree plantations to sequester carbon emissions where possible Identifying and mapping sensitive and protected plant species and environments through our environmental impact assessment processes Managing alien invasive species. Facilitating socio-economic benefits for host communities by: Repurposing infrastructure for alternative use by communities where feasible Enhancing socio-economic benefits of post-mining land use through holistic closure planning Developing local host community entrepreneurs in rehabilitation and restoration Creating and sharing value through resource inputs (human, financial, natural, manufactured, and social and relationship capitals). Regional performance South Africa In South Africa, our land rehabilitation programme combines environmental restoration with community development. We have rehabilitated 84ha of the 100ha available for rehabilitation, and planted 132 191 trees at TSFs to control erosion and dust. Notable achievements include rehabilitating 12.5 hectares at the Doornkop TSF and demolishing 46 shafts to prevent illegal access. The innovative initiatives we have implemented in our communities include donating waste rock dumps with recoverable gold to communities and partnering with the Institute for Technology and Society. Through these programmes, we have created 258 jobs, supported local businesses and reduced illegal mining activity, while advancing SDGs goals in these areas. Papua New Guinea In Papua New Guinea, we face unique challenges due to steep topography and high rainfall. We have responded by implementing specialised progressive rehabilitation techniques and have expanded our nurseries to support revegetation at different altitudes. Australia At Eva Copper, rehabilitation is governed by a comprehensive Progressive Rehabilitation and Closure plan that sets binding milestones for the site’s transition to future use. The plan focuses on environmentally responsible mining practices and includes provisions for native vegetation, habitat restoration and low-intensity grazing. This plan has been designed in consultation with local stakeholders to ensure post-mining land uses meet community needs. Future focus areas Looking ahead, we intend to focus our efforts on planning for and successfully integrating social initiatives as part of our post-mining and closure activities. Doing so will enable us to strengthen our contribution to the socio-economic transition of our host communities. Case studies Doornkop TSF Rehabilitation Project The Doornkop TSF rehabilitation project demonstrates how we integrate social and environmental initiatives to reduce our footprint, while positively impacting our host communities. Read more: Doornkop TSF Rehabilitation Project Rehabilitating tailings dams for environmental and socio-economic benefits We have multiple TSF projects at many of our operations that integrate environmental stewardship and socio-economic development imperatives to drive our support of SDG 15. Read more: Rehabilitating tailings dams for environmental and socio-economic benefits Further information See discussions and additional data on our approach to land management ESG Report 2024 ESG data tables
