The 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global effort to create a better world for humanity and the natural environment. We actively contribute to the SDGs through our four strategic pillars, inclusive of our sustainability initiatives.
How we contribute directly and indirectly
The SDGs are integrated into our sustainability framework, identifying specific targets for the goals where we can make a meaningful impact. In our pursuit of delivering positive impact and lessening our negative impact, Harmony collaborates with our stakeholders and makes a targeted effort to:
- Take action against climate change and fossil fuel-based energy consumption
- Reduce poverty
- Efficiently manage our use of scarce natural resources such as water and land
- Minimise impact on biodiversity and restore, where possible
- Uphold human rights.
Collaboration
direct contribution
SDG 17 calls for partnerships, and pooled efforts and resources to bring sustained beneficial change. Harmony considers mutually beneficial relationships critical to leaving a lasting positive legacy and value creation.
Key partnerships:
- The Harmony Tripartite in South Africa in creating a proactive health and safety culture
- Government institutions to implement our mine community development and corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives
- Industry peers on water management programmes
- Local communities in our biodiversity conservation programmes
- Industry organisations like the Minerals Council South Africa to address issues such as gender-based violence.
We continue strengthening current partnerships and building new ones through constructive engagements and addressing our stakeholders’ needs and concerns.
End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Indirect contribution
- Providing housing, decent living conditions and effective financial services for South African employees who support an estimated 475 000 dependants, local businesses and municipalities in the communities where they live
- Creating empowerment, employment and economic upliftment through socioeconomic initiatives and sustainable economic activities.
SDG2: END HUNGER, ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Indirect contribution
We support broad-based agriculture and commercial agricultural ventures to establish alternative, sustainable economic activities that will continue beyond mining operations and contribute to food security.
Read more about what we do under Empowering communities.
Ensure good health and promote the well-being of all
direct contribution
- Strengthening our proactive safety culture and risk management approach to achieve our goal of zero harm
- Providing access to healthcare services while empowering employees to proactively manage their health and wellbeing
- Decarbonising the business to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhancing our climate resilience to mitigate the impacts of climate change
- Proactively mitigating the health risks associated with TSFs, waste management and poor water quality through water, health and sanitation programmes
- Pollution prevention measures supported by creating awareness and continuous monitoring.
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities
Indirect contribution
- Advancing the professional development of our employees and fostering a culture of lifelong learning
- Providing education support training and development to host community members, including the youth.
Promote gender equality and empower women and girls
direct contribution
- Delivering on our gender equality and inclusivity targets
- Actively increasing the number of women employed across the company at all levels
- Supporting Women in Mining (WiM) and Men’s Forums, which enable us to continuously improve our approach to diversity, equity and inclusion
- Meeting Mining Charter III targets and memorandum of agreement (MoA) requirements.
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
direct contribution
- Ensuring that the water management roadmap and projects remain responsive to the different climatic conditions of the countries in which we operate, including zero discharge philosophy, where feasible
- Reducing our reliance on municipal water utilities by reusing and recycling our process water Treating water for safe, potable use in our business and for host communities
- Assisting municipalities in South Africa in managing their wastewater.
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
direct contribution
- Generating solar energy with a pipeline of renewable energy projects delivered in a phased approach, and investing in alternative energy sources.
- Working with communities to expand access to small-scale, off-grid renewable energy solutions, such as our solar lighting initiatives in Papua New Guinea.
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work
direct contribution
- Enhancing the lives of our 47 111 employees and contractors through:
- Preventing loss of life and injuries to ensure that everyone goes home safely every day
- Skills development, training and talent management initiatives
- Better access to social services, healthcare, education and training
- Maintaining sound labour relations
- Contributing to community upliftment and development by:
- Delivering on our SLP commitments and MoA requirements, and going beyond compliance through CSI initiatives
- Meeting procurement targets and contributing to enterprise and supplier development.
Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
Indirect contribution
- Collaborating with industry peers in research and development initiatives
- Modernising our operations and delivering environmental, operational and safety improvements
- Building, renovating and maintaining vital infrastructure through our CSI initiatives.
Reduce inequality in our host countries
Indirect contribution
- Supporting Women in Mining and men’s forums to align policies with gender equality best practice
- Creating equal opportunities for our employees and host communities through training, education and job creation
- Driving diversity, equity and inclusion from executive level.
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Indirect contribution
- Delivering agricultural, infrastructure and sustainable energy projects, supported by local procurement, and enterprise and supplier development
- Addressing the impact of illegal mining on our business, employees and host communities
- Providing host communities with resources to combat crime
- Incorporating respect for the different cultures in the regions we operate in our environmental assessments and social policies.
Ensure sustainable, responsible consumption and production patterns
direct contribution
- Re-engineering our portfolio for quality assets
- Optimising our processes, grade management and costs to improve and sustain productivity and efficiencies
- Responsibly using the natural resources on which we rely to enable the sustainability of our business
- Measuring, monitoring and reporting on our performance against group-wide and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) linked KPIs.
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
direct contribution
- Tracking our net zero target and science-based target to decarbonise the business
- Progressing our investments and sourcing of renewable and low-carbon energy sources to deliver on our targets
- Conducting assessments to determine climate risk and tailor our response to this.
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
direct contribution
- Using industry best practice to assess potential impacts to marine environments and resources
- Incorporating post-closure sustainability in current and future projects.
Protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss
direct contribution
- Rehabilitating the land on which we mine
- Preventing and mitigating biodiversity loss while addressing the impacts of climate change, including through nature-based solutions
- Incorporating post-closure sustainability in current and future projects.
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Indirect contribution
- Driving ethical business practices, meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements and continue partnering and collaborating with key stakeholders
- Working closely with our local governments through various structures to jointly identify opportunities to support our communities
- Assisting with law-and-order infrastructure, including magistrate and police houses, among others, to improve access to peace and justice for our communities in Papua New Guinea
- Partnering with various private and public institutions in South Africa to combat illegal mining
