Chairman's statement

Welcome to the sustainable development section of the website. Here you can learn about how we are developing processes to enable us to work in a sustainable way, one of the key benefits of which will improve our access to financial, human and land resources into the future.

Mining is a long term, capital intensive business in which assets are often situated in remote locations, and can last for 30 years or more. This extended timescale means that if we are to deliver financial returns to host governments, local communities and our shareholders, we need economic, environmental and social stability.

First choice of partners

By committing ourselves to implementing the principles of sustainable development, we can make this long term stability more likely. This approach also opens up new opportunities, enhances our business performance and helps make our Group a first choice of partners around the world.

Much depends, of course, on the inspiration and dedication of our own people, and I applaud the enthusiasm with which they have embraced the principle of acting sustainably in all that we do. This has been evident in all our operations that I visited in 2006.

As we move into new geographical areas, our success in meeting economic, social and environmental challenges simultaneously will be an increasingly critical determinant of our business performance.

Positive recognition and support

I am pleased to say that our way of doing business continues to receive positive recognition and support from our various stakeholders.

During the course of the year, our Sustainable Development Leadership Panel formulated a strategy that will shape our future action and priorities. Through initiatives such as this, we are charting a way forward that will increasingly create a competitive advantage.

We are also continuing to engage with our various stakeholders to ensure that we understand their views, concerns and ideas.

Paul Skinner

Chairman