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Environment
We protect and responsibly manage the natural resources under our care.
Mining has a direct impact on the environment due to the need to access land and water resources. Indirect impacts can also result from the construction of roads and other mining-related infrastructure in the areas where we operate. AngloGold Ashanti understands that demonstrating responsible environmental stewardship is an important aspect of acquiring and maintaining our social licence to operate.
Our environment management systems enable us to proactively identify and manage the potential environmental risks associated with our activities and to meet our compliance obligations and voluntary commitments. In seeking to prevent pollution and environmental incidents, we have set a target of zero reportable environmental incidents, as defined in our incident reporting standard.
Environmental stewardship includes:
- Responsible and efficient water management
- Reducing air emissions
- Mitigating our impact on and contributing to biodiversity
- Responsible stewardship of the materials we use
- Efficient management of energy resources
- Mitigating climate related risk
- Integrating environmental and social aspects into mine closure
For further information, refer to <SR>2021: Environmental stewardship
Policies and standards
- Commitment to Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management English, pdf
- Environmental Incident Classification Criteria English, pdf
- Group Policy: Sustainability English, pdf Español, pdf Português, pdf Français, pdf
- Management Standard: Air Quality English, pdf
- Management Standard: Biodiversity English, pdf
- Management standard: Chemical English, pdf
- Management Standard: Closure Planning English, pdf
- Management Standard: Environmental incident classification and reporting English, pdf
- Management Standard: Land Use English, pdf
- Management Standard: Waste English, pdf
- Management standard: Water English, pdf
Water
Water is a valuable and often scarce resource. It is also one which we share with other users such as farmers, local industries and communities.
Energy & climate change
AngloGold Ashanti set its first emissions reduction targets in 2008, which were met in 2017 and as a result, carbon intensity has reduced by 43%.
Tailings & waste
Our tailings storage facilities are designed and built to a rigorous set of standards and carefully managed and monitored by a team of specialists.
Ensuring integrated closure
Our approach to closure management seeks to ensure that our activities minimise adverse impacts on people, the environment and broader society.
Related stories
Serra Grande achieves full conversion to filtered tailings
In September 2021, AngloGold Ashanti’s Serra Grande mine became the first mine in Brazil to implement a 100% filtered tailings disposal system. This means that, at the end of ore processing, all the tailings generated go through a drying process after which it is placed in filtered tailings stacks. Wet tailings are no longer sent to the tailings storage facilities.
In-situ water remediation at Geita
AngloGold Ashanti is rolling out a novel in situ water remediation project at its Geita mine in Tanzania, working with a local Tanzanian/German joint venture partner that will use a process where naturally occurring bacteria directly remediates sulphate in groundwater.
Obuasi Mine’s Closure Consultative Committee
The key purpose of the Closure Consultative Committee (CCC) is to track the implementation of the mine’s reclamation plan, ensuring that the completion criteria contained in RSA are met.
![Quebradona Biodiversity Initiative [artist illustration]](https://www.anglogoldashanti.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/quebradona-biodiversity-initiative-768x768.jpg)
Quebradona Biodiversity Initiative
A ground-breaking plan to create and integrate a park and biodiversity centre into its Quebradona copper-gold project, in Colombia’s Antioquia province.
Tailings storage facility management in Brazil
We have engaged with concerned communities to demonstrate the effectiveness of our TSF management systems. In 2019, more the 850 people from our nearby communities participated in visits to TSFs.
Taking action on climate change
A new climate change strategy is crucial to ensure that we insulate our operations and host communities against physical climate risks.