Communities

Understanding host communities

We recognise that while the benefits of our business activities are widespread, many of the adverse impacts are localised. Our teams work in partnership with communities to understand how our activities impact them.

We continually review our standards, systems and processes to work consistently across our operations to avoid and minimise impacts and risks to our operations, people, communities and nature.

Engaging with communities

We consult and engage with communities and Indigenous Peoples regularly, in good faith, and in ways that are transparent, inclusive, and culturally appropriate.

Our Communities and Social Performance teams provide technical expertise to continually evolve and improve our approach to engaging with communities where we operate. These teams include experts ranging from archaeologists, anthropologists, social scientists and economic development experts to human rights specialists and operational leaders.

Our engagement practices are designed to respect human rights, hear diverse voices and provide a safe space for vulnerable and at-risk groups to participate.

By listening to understand, being transparent and willing to learn from our mistakes, we will help build lasting outcomes for host communities and society.

Feedback and complaints

We offer accessible ways for community members to provide feedback and raise complaints, in alignment with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This helps us work together to address issues and take appropriate action when needed. Every site is required to have a complaints, disputes, and grievances process that reflects these principles.

Local Voices – listening and responding to communities

Listening to the voices of communities helps in our planning and decision making so we can better manage our impacts, respond to community concerns, contribute to positive social outcomes, and preserve and protect heritage.

To help us do this, we are partnering with Voconiq to implement a global community perception monitoring program. Voconiq’s Local Voices was officially launched in our business in March 2024 following a successful pilot in 2023. It will be implemented across all our global assets.

Voconiq is a third-party engagement science research company that use a robust, globally validated methodology to engage communities, collect and analyse data and deliver unique relational insights. The program will provide a consistent engagement mechanism, allowing us to gain valuable longitudinal trend information so we can track levels of trust and acceptance over time. It will also help us more effectively engage and better understand host communities’ perceptions, leading to improved evidence-driven social performance. And it will give communities an avenue to track our responses to their comments.

Local Voices is an important part of our commitment to truly listen to communities so we can continually find better ways to work together.

Respecting Indigenous rights and culture

Many of our operations are on or near land that is significant to Indigenous communities.

We are focused on building strong relationships with Indigenous Peoples, respecting their deep connection to the land, water, culture, and nature.

We seek to operate in a manner consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which recognises the right of Indigenous Peoples to “maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources” (Article 25).

We value our agreements with Indigenous Peoples which seek to share the benefits of our business with Traditional Custodians. We are moving to a co-management model so we can better protect the unique tangible and intangible cultural heritage that belongs to communities. True partnerships are critical to unlocking the benefits of our decarbonisation strategy.

Read more about our approach to cultural heritage.

Read more about our community agreements.

Juukan Gorge

There have been defining moments in our history, such as Juukan Gorge, that have compelled us to change our approach and culture. We're committed to improving how we engage with Indigenous Peoples everywhere we operate.

Find out more about the changes we have been making in our communities and social performance commitments updates.

Indigenous voices

It is important for Indigenous Peoples to have a say in our business. We are committed to increasing cultural knowledge of our advancing Indigenous leadership in our workforce and working together with Indigenous communities and partners. By embracing diversity and cultural understanding, we can make better decisions that meet society's expectations and build a more inclusive future for everyone.

Find out more about how we work with Indigenous Peoples.