Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Understanding Our Emissions Profile
It is important to understand how we account for emissions and the unique nature of mining’s energy demands.
Since 2019, our emissions accounting has covered 99% of all sources following a comprehensive screening process to define our reporting boundary. Exploration activities and closure sites are excluded, reflecting their lower emissions intensity and intermittent operations.
The Complexity of Mining’s Emissions Profile
Mining doesn’t lend itself to tidy, linear emissions reductions. It’s a dynamic, energy- intensive business where variables like geology, mine depth, haul distances and life- of-mine stages drive year-on-year fluctuations, and this is before any consideration of a company’s growth and greenfields profile.
Expecting consistent annual emissions drops in this context is unrealistic – but that doesn’t mean we’re not committed to making progress. Rather it means our strategy must be both agile and ambitious: targeting step changes through renewable integration, efficiency improvements and innovation, while recognizing that meaningful decarbonization in mining will never be a one-size-fits-all.
- Early-stage mining (stripping phase) involves removing waste rock, requiring significant energy but generating little ore.
- Mid-life operations see optimized production, yet deeper mining and longer haul distances increase fuel demands.
- Later-stage mining involves stockpiling and processing adjustments, further shifting energy consumption patterns.
We highlight this not as a barrier but rather to explain the challenges we actively work to
overcome. By analyzing our emissions profile in detail, we identify choke points and develop targeted solutions to reduce our footprint in ways that align with operational realities.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Sustainability Report 2024