|
19 November 2007
The continuous improvement in Sasol's safety performance and transformation rank as important milestones among many other important achievements listed in the group's 2007 sustainability development report, issued in Johannesburg today.
Sasol's safety record is at an all time high, there have been significant
strides in black economic empowerment (BEE), and an environmental roadmap for the next 15 years, with particular focus on managing greenhouse gases and water,
has been put in place.
"The significant improvement in our safety performance is pleasing. However,
our foremost objective is to operate with zero safety incidents. We are
determined to achieve this by continuing to entrench a shift in safety attitudes
and behaviours,'' Sasol CE Pat Davies said at the launch of the report.
Davies said that Sasol has invested much in improving its image among
stakeholders and in society at large. This includes forging closer ties with
organised labour, communities, environmental experts, and the South African and
other governments to ensure greater alignment of activities to national
socioeconomic objectives, as well as sufficient communication of the group's
activities and plans.
The group is also witnessing positive impacts emanating from an initiative to
promote a culture of values driven leadership.
Sasol recently announced a transaction, which if approved by shareholders,
will be South Africa's largest single broad-based BEE ownership deal to date. It
will involve the proposed transfer of a 10% interest in Sasol Limited to South
African employees, black shareholders and a Sasol Foundation, which will focus
on capacity building and skills development, particularly in science and
technology.
"I am very excited by this transaction as I believe it will contribute
significantly to achieving our growth strategy and South Africa's long-term
economic success," says Davies.
In consultation with key stakeholders, as well as through its internal risk
assessment processes, Sasol has identified its most material sustainability
challenges to include climate change, safety, skills development and BEE. "Once
again, we have used the sustainable development report as an opportunity to
engage in constructive and frank dialogue with our key stakeholders, thus
helping us to respond effectively to the risks and opportunities of sustainable
development," said Davies.
A series of high-level thematic dialogues were held between Sasol management
and leading external practitioners on safety, climate change and skills
development. Sasol will be hosting the BEE dialogue in 2008. An independent
summary review of these dialogues can be found in the report, which has been
prepared in line with the G3 reporting guidelines of the Global Reporting
Initiative (GRI).
"We consider global climate change to be one of our principal strategic
challenges, not only for our existing operations, but also as we investigate
opportunities to roll out our coal and gas to liquids technologies globally, ‘'
said Sasol's environmental expert Fred Goede. Goede is one of several South
Africans on the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), which
recently won the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Al Gore of the USA.
In the light of the potential peaking of crude oil, Sasol believes that its
technologies will form an important part of the global search for solutions to
the energy challenge. To this end the group is investigating opportunities for
carbon capture and storage, and continues to explore the potential for producing
fuel from renewable energy and raw material such as fuel cells and biodiesel.
In dealing with the water issue, Sasol is at an early stage of implementing
water-saving and effluent management projects. Means to secure sufficient water
supplies have been identified and all projects are being designed with greater
emphasis on reducing raw water demand and improving overall water and effluent
management.
The global lack of skilled workers is being met by a comprehensive skills
development programme aimed at improving the group's internal skills development
capacity, as well as contributing to external skills development initiatives in
partnership with government and other employers.
In light of these efforts, which have been sustained since the first external
sustainable development report was issued 1996, Sasol has been recognised a
leader in corporate sustainability reporting. The 2006 report won the following
accolades:
- Overall winner Best Sustainability Report - administered by the South
African Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
- Best Sustainability Report in the extractive industries sector - ACCA
- Winner of the Ernst & Young Excellence in Sustainability reporting
annual award.
- Sasol was listed as the sole African company under the "Rest of the
World Top 100" sustainability reports by Context's and
CorporateRegister.com's seventh annual report on corporate responsibility
reporting
- Sasol was included in the top 100 global reports listed in the UNEP/Sustainability
reporting, "Tomorrow's Value".
- The UN Global Compact included Sasol on its list of "Notable
Communications on Progress" for its reporting on implementation of the
global Compact principle.
ends
|
