Environment
Living the Implats Way
Our purpose is to create a better future. We accomplish this through the metals we produce, the way we do business and through our superior performance.
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Our purpose is to create a better future. We accomplish this through the metals we produce, the way we do business and through our superior performance.
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Implats has the advantage of geographical diversification and exploits platiniferous horizons within the Bushveld Complex in South Africa, the Great Dyke in Zimbabwe and the palladium-dominant orebody located in the Lac des Iles Intrusive Complex in Canada. The Bushveld Complex and Great Dyke layered intrusions are unique in terms of size and geological continuity.
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Decarbonisation is an urgent global challenge. There are increasing opportunities to use platinum-catalysed fuel cells to provide zero-emitting, carbon-free energy, in electricity and mobile applications.
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Employee accommodation and living conditions remain key strategic issues for improving the wellbeing of our employees and host communities in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Our focus remains on facilitating the creation of sustainable human settlements and access to decent accommodation for employees who are residing in informal structures.
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The increasing evidence globally of physical climate impacts – wildfires, floods, rising temperatures – is driving a greater sense of urgency in building adaptive capacity and resilience to climate.
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Our environmental policy commits the Group to responsible stewardship of our natural resources and to mitigating the environmental impacts of our activities.
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Our five-lever climate change strategy is designed to facilitate the shift away from fossil fuels and reduce GHG emissions to meet our 2050 goal of achieving carbon neutrality.
Download our Climate Change Report 2024Our southern African operations are located in water-stressed regions. Implats’ water stewardship efforts focus on maximising water recycling/re-use at operations and reducing freshwater withdrawals to increase resilience against water scarcity at each operation and in the surrounding communities.
Water recycled at operations
40,182 ML
in 2024
from 27,402 in 2023
Water recycling rate
55%
in 2024
targeting 60% by 2030
| Water-performance indicators | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater withdrawal (Ml): All operations | 27 175 | 23 525 | 21 530 | 21 322 | 19 402 |
| Freshwater withdrawal (Ml): Operations in water-stressed catchments* | 25 440 | 21 202 | 19 460 | 19 396 | 19 402 |
| Water recycled Ml: All operations | 40 182 | 27 402 | 27 551 | 25 869 | 19 094 |
| Water recycled Ml: Operations in water-stressed catchments | 33 255 | 19 758 | 20 134 | 18 153 | 16 282 |
| Total water consumed** (Ml): All operations | 31 492 | 53 008 | 51 504 | 50 671 | 42 122 |
| Total water consumed** (Ml): Operations in water-stressed catchments | 29 986 | 44 078 | 42 666 | 41 029 | 39 390 |
* Operations in water-stressed regions: Impala Rustenburg, Impala Refineries, Impala Bafokeng, Marula, and Zimplats.
** Not comparable year-on-year. Definition of water consumed revised to align with ICMM guidelines.
We recognise that climate change is a global challenge requiring businesses to reduce GHG emissions across the value chain, and to build operational resilience while ensuring transparent communication and engagement with stakeholders. Our decarbonisation and energy security policy statement outlines our commitments towards the adoption of renewable and low-carbon energy sources as well as the transparent communication of the potential impacts of climate change on our business.
10%
lower
Combined scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions of 0.154 CO2t/t milled
(2023: 0.171)
Commissioned Zimplats'
35MW
solar plant
We minimise the air quality impacts of our operations by optimising our processes and installing best-in-class abatement technologies. Our 2025 air quality goal is to ensure emissions are within legislated standards, as a minimum, and for the South African operations to meet NEMAQA minimum emission standards.
29 426 tonnes
direct sulphur dioxide emissions
(2023: 31 057 tonnes)
0
air quality-related environmental incidents at site and from surrounding communities
(2023: 2)
Air quality
as at 30 June 2024
Direct SO2 emissions
as at 30 June 2024
Implats' tailings storage facilities (TSFs) are technically sound and well managed and the Group remains resolute in its goal to achieve full conformance to the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). At Impala Rustenburg, tailings re-mining at the dormant TSF continues to ensure host community employment. The Group’s focus for 2025 and beyond is to complete our broader stakeholder engagements, roll out a tailings management system to the operations and achieve GISTM conformance at all managed operations, except Impala Bafokeng and Impala Canada, by June 2025.
0
major or significant environmental incidents involving TSFs
(2023: 0)
55
permanent jobs created from tailings re-mining at Impala Rustenburg’s dormant TSFs
Our integrated closure planning and concurrent rehabilitation activities preserve the biodiversity-rich ecosystems in areas in which we operate. Designing, planning and operating a mine with closure in mind is vitally important to reduce long-term business risks and liabilities from an environmental and socioeconomic perspective and to ensure that we leave a positive legacy.
39ha of available land rehabilitated against a Group target of 60ha in 2024
(2023: 32ha)
The rehabilitation of the old pits at Zimplats is progressing well
Implats' tailing storage facility (TSF) management team hosted a delegation from Vale Brazil, a global leader in the mining industry, who came to learn from our industry-leading tailings management practices and standards. The visit was a testament to our commitment to excellence and innovation in TSF management.
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Our southern African operations are in water-stressed regions. Implats' water stewardship efforts focus on maximising water recycling/re-use at operations and reducing freshwater withdrawals to increase resilience against water scarcity at each operation and the surrounding communities.
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In 2024, Impala Rustenburg engaged an independent third-party expert to review its circular economy efforts. The assessment was informed by the operation's specific context and knowledge of global circular economy practices, including South African mining peers.
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