16
ArcelorMittal South Africa
Sustainability Report for 2008
Ensuring an environmentally
responsible operation
As the largest steel company in South Africa,
we have a considerable environmental footprint.
ArcelorMittal group’s environmental policy defines
the principles that guide our environmental
management practices worldwide. In the longer
term, we are aiming beyond regulatory compliance,
working towards operational excellence in this
area through significant investment and continual
management improvements. There are large
constraints and challenges but our policies, goals,
management systems and action plans are now
in place. We are highly cognisant of the fact that
environmental compliance is one of our biggest
business risks.
key environmental stakeholders. These include
regulators and authorities, communities living near
our areas of operation and environmental NGOs.
Communities
: In line with our community
engagement strategy, formal engagement
forums were held with community leaders
and members from Bophelong, Boipatong and
Sharpeville. Any environmental concerns raised
wi
l
be addressed within an agreed feedback
period. (Further details can be found in the
Community section.)
Environmental NGOs:
In a coordinated action
in May last year, various environmental NGOs,
including the local Vaal Environmental Justice
Alliance (VEJA), delivered a memorandum
at the ArcelorMittal annual general meeting
in Luxembourg. This detailed their concerns
relating to air and water pollution.
In the past year, the significance of environmental
management has been raised considerably
at ArcelorMittal South Africa. We have made
good progress on some of our most important
environmental projects, particularly those
relating to issues of legal compliance. In addition,
while financial constraints may lead to the
postponement of some projects, none of our
environmental projects has been terminated. We
are more committed than ever to meeting all our
environmental obligations.
In response, ArcelorMittal South Africa’s senior
management, under the leadership of the CEO,
invited key environmental NGOs to a meeting
to discuss their concerns, clarify facts, explain
the company’s plans and agree a way forward.
It was a hopeful and constructive beginning.
An engagement framework was proposed and
the challenge now is to reach agreement on the
priority actions and thereafter, put that into
practice.
Forging a transparent relationship with
stakeholders
One of the year’s most important achievements
was the progress made in developing a more
transparent and constructive relationship with
