Managing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts is crucial for Australian mining companies. From maintaining a ‘social licence to operate’ to meeting newly introduced requirements to disclose climate-related information, Australian mining companies are facing an increasingly complex set of regulatory requirements and community expectations.
Navigating the regulatory maze is challenging, but achievable with the creation of a strategy that is appropriate for your business. Seeking the guidance of an experienced consultant can take the pain out of understanding your obligations and realising your sustainability goals.
Australian Engineering and Environmental Consulting company Advitech has been partnering with Australian industry for over 35 years to tackle a range of complex challenges. Working across many sectors, including deep engagement with the mining industry, Advitech has employed its engineering and scientific expertise to help businesses achieve their objectives.
Advitech’s experience in the mining industry includes multiple projects covering such areas as functional safety, structural and mechanical design and verification and environmental monitoring and reporting. More recently, the company has been building its capacity in energy and renewables, analytics and optimisation, and ESG strategy and planning.
Advitech’s Manager – Environment, Craig Wellings, believes that data is empowering for mining companies.
“Decisions should be based on evidence, and real-time monitoring, feeding into operation management decisions, provides a powerful tool to manage risk,” says Craig.
As part of Emergent Group, an integrated collection of technical and scientific companies, Advitech has access to a diverse pool of skills to solve complex problems. Along with sister company Novecom, Advitech provides real-time monitoring solutions for noise and vibration, dust, air quality and weather.
With greater confidence in your environmental management systems, it becomes easier to engage and communicate with your stakeholders. Addressing issues as they arise and having timely information means you can be proactive and responsive.
Advitech’s Manager – Sustainability, Abby Yates, talks about sustainability for any business as being a journey.
“Whether you’re just beginning to think seriously about sustainability as a business goal or whether you’re already quite advanced in that regard, you need to know where you are in the journey and where you’re headed,” says Abby.
Abby’s team specialises in assessing the current sustainability and ESG performance of a business, and working with them to plan a realistic pathway forward. Factors such as energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, corporate governance, community relations, sustainable procurement, and workplace culture all come into play.
“Having accurate data on your ESG performance is critical for planning initiatives for improvement, but just as important is having the commitment and support of your employees. That’s why we pay so much attention to behavioural change within the company too,” added Abby.
Abby, Craig and their teams at Advitech would be happy to chat with mining companies and businesses servicing the industry to discuss their challenges and goals and walk the pathway to sustainability and ESG together.
