Exxaro wins globally-recognised ESG award

25th August 2021 By: Simone Liedtke - Creamer Media Social Media Editor & Senior Writer

Exxaro wins globally-recognised ESG award

Diversified miner Exxaro Resources has won the Best Sustainability Reporting Award in the Metals & Mining category in the 2021 Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting Awards.

Exxaro, which operates in the coal mining and renewable energy generation sectors, and which is invested in iron-ore and zinc commodities, was shortlisted in two categories, namely Best Sustainability Reporting and Best Climate-Related Reporting.

The ESG Reporting Awards are devoted to assessing and evaluating the best listed companies in relation to sustainability and climate-related reporting from around the world.

“We are humbled to be recognised for our commitment to sustainability and transparency in the metals and mining sector,” says Exxaro CEO Mxolisi Mgojo.

He elaborates that Exxaro’s ESG approach goes “beyond mere environmental impact and related governance issues, such as climate change”.

“In our view, if our host communities are struggling, so will business, with a knock-on effect on stakeholder value creation and national economic performance. Our approach to ESG is holistic and aims to achieve ‘value beyond compliance’ and sustainability in all our operations. This has been our approach before the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to drive our operations long after the pandemic is over,” Mgojo says.

The 2021 ESG Reporting Awards panel of independent judges looked for outstanding merit in ESG, sustainability and climate-related reporting and disclosure. In assessing entries for each category, the judges examined each company’s overall reporting strategy along with its engagement and communication practices towards investors and stakeholders across all areas of corporate sustainability and climate change policy.

In addition to its reporting standards, Exxaro has also strategically invested in green energy. It contributes to South Africa’s national energy supply through Cennergi, its wholly owned subsidiary, which owns two wind energy projects in the Eastern Cape.

The Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm, 30 km north-west of Cape St Francis, and the Amakhala Emoyeni renewable energy project plant, located between Cookhouse and Bedford, have a combined generation capacity of 239 MW.

“While we are immensely proud of such global recognition, we dare not grow complacent. We will continue to set stringent goals for our business to guide our sustainability journey and demonstrate value creation, as we strive to continue to set a new benchmark for reporting and sustainable investing,” Mgojo said.

“This journey is not about recognition, but to ensure that we remain committed to creating a better present and future for all who encounter our work – from communities to our shareholders; from our clients to our employees,” he commented.