Sustainable development
Sustainable development is commonly
defined as "development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs."
We recognise that, if not managed appropriately, some aspects of
our activities have the ability to detract from sustainable
development, such as options for the future use of water and land;
amenity impacts on local communities; and greenhouse gas emissions
from our operations and the use of our products
At Northparkes, sustainable development
is integral to our success and to the social and financial
investment our stakeholders and surrounding communities have made
in us. By anchoring our business strategy and daily practices to
align with the concept of sustainable development we are able to
strengthen our operations and products and provide lasting benefits
for our employees and stakeholders.
Northparkes operates within Rio Tinto's structured sustainable
development framework to accomplish Our Vision. This
framework comprises:
- A sustainable development policy to drive our business
culture.
- Standards which lay down the minimum acceptable requirements
for behaviour or operating conditions.
- Strategies for reaching the goals of the policies and
standards.
- Guidance notes designed to help us achieve the standards and
strategies.
- Performance indicators to measure how well we have done against
the targets we have set ourselves.
The Environment, Safety and Health Management System
(ESHMS) outlines the minimum standard to ensure Northparkes manages
its environment, safety and health aspects in a manner that is
planned, controlled, monitored, recorded and audited, using a
system that drives continual improvement. The system
undergoes regular review to ensure it currently reflects the needs
of our business, and is compliant with relevant legislative and
regulatory requirements.
Our activities are conducted in accordance with the Environment, Safety, Health and
Community Policy.