Community Engagement

Introduction

Our host communities are a key Gold Fields stakeholder group, as their support underpins our social licence to operate which, in turn, impacts our ability to create enduring value. Our Group Community Policy Statement sets out our commitment to developing mutually beneficial relationships with our host communities, host governments and other key stakeholders through meaningful and transparent engagement. We aim to keep improving our social performance, strengthening our social licence to operate and delivering enduring value in collaboration with our host communities and governments.

We report on our community engagement and relations in our Integrated Annual Report and Report to Stakeholders. The Gold Fields Board, particularly its Social, Ethics and Transformation Committee has oversight of community engagement and relations.

Gold Fields Policies and Commitments

Our Community Policy Statement was updated in 2021 and commits us to developing mutually beneficial relationships with our host communities, host governments and other key stakeholders through meaningful and transparent engagement.

To attain this, we commit to:

• apply culturally appropriate engagement processes with communities and other key stakeholders, that also ensures meaningful and fair participation of Indigenous Peoples in decisions impacting them
• timely, on-going and inclusive engagement with stakeholders through appropriate processes that provide a platform for dialogue, understanding stakeholder views and understanding our impacts on those around us
• provide e­ffective grievance mechanisms for communities in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
• work to obtain the free, prior, and informed consent of communities in accordance with the ICMM Position Statement on Indigenous People and Mining, including where projects are located on lands traditionally owned or under customary use by Indigenous Peoples and are likely to have significant adverse impacts on Indigenous Peoples
• pursue partnerships with non-governmental organisations, development organisations, other stakeholders and governments, to deliver enduring social and economic well-being to host communities in accordance with development priorities
• prioritise host community and in-country procurement and job creation
• deliver sustainable benefits for host communities, including Indigenous Peoples
• measure our contribution to socio-economic development and diversity as well as our relations with host communities and governments
• implement impact, risk and crisis management strategies and systems to avoid, prevent, minimise, mitigate and/ or remedy impacts to communities, cultural heritage, and the environment
• plan and design for closure, including social considerations, in consultation with relevant stakeholders
• avoid the involuntary physical or economic displacement of communities and ensure that any resettlement restores or improves livelihoods and standards of living of displaced people in accordance with Gold Fields Community Relations and Stakeholder Engagement standard on delivering good practice resettlement
• in collaboration with government, and where appropriate, support improvements in environmental and social practices of Artisanal and Small-scale Mining in host communities
• stipulate that our suppliers, contractors and where relevant our community trusts and foundations conduct themselves in accordance with the principles outlined in our policies, standards and guidelines
• respect the rights, interests, culture, perspectives and special connections to land and water of host communities, including Indigenous Peoples, in project design, development, operation and closure.

Everyone working for and on behalf of, and third parties to Gold Fields plays a role in achieving these commitments by:

• adhering to this Group Community Policy Statement; and
• undertaking activities in a manner that avoids harm, builds respectful relationships with communities and other key stakeholders and delivers enduring value in collaboration with them.

The following internal policies and guidelines support our work in this area:

• Society and Communities Charter
• Sustainable Development Policy
• Human Rights Policy
• Stakeholder Relationship and Engagement Policy
• Climate Change Policy
• Environmental Policy
• Water Stewardship Policy
• TSF Management Policy
• Supplier Code of Business Conduct
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Community Relations Guideline
• Community and Stakeholder Engagement Handbook
• Host Community Procurement and Job Creation Guidance

Our Society and Community Charter commits us to:

• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders, based on trust and open, honest and frequent engagement
• Create and deliver enduring value in collaboration with - and for - our host communities and governments in line with our ESG Priorities and 2030 targets
• Monitor and measure our performance against our commitments to create enduring value, build relations and trust and reduce our impact on the environment
• Strive to reach a better understanding of the underlying concerns and aspirations of our host communities, the issues associated with our business and to co-create and deliver the right commitments to secure and maintain our social licence to operate.

As a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), we engage actively with our peers on social performance, including community relations, in the organisation’s committees, working groups and practice groups. We are required to implement and publicly report and assure our performance against its Mining Principles and Performance Expectations and Position Statements, particularly:

Performance Expectations:

1. Respect human rights and the interests, cultures, customs and values of workers and communities affected by our activities
   1. Support the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by developing a policy commitment to respect human rights, undertaking human rights due diligence and providing for or cooperating in processes to enable the remediation of adverse human rights impacts that we have caused or contributed to.
   2. Avoid the involuntary physical or economic displacement of families and communities. Where this is not possible apply the mitigation hierarchy and implement actions or remedies that address residual adverse effects to restore or improve livelihoods and standards of living of displaced people.
   3. Implement, based on risk, a human rights and security approach consistent with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.
   4. Respect the rights, interests, aspirations, culture and natural resource-based livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples in project design, development and operation; apply the mitigation hierarchy to address adverse impacts and; deliver sustainable benefits for Indigenous Peoples.
   5. Work to obtain the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples where significant adverse impacts are likely to occur, as a result of relocation, disturbance of lands and territories or of critical cultural heritage, and capture the outcomes of engagement and consent processes in agreements.
2. Implement effective risk-management strategies and systems based on sound science, and which account for stakeholder perceptions of risk.
   1. Assess environmental and social risks and opportunities of new projects and of significant changes to existing operations in consultation with interested and affected stakeholders, and publicly disclose assessment results.
   2. Develop, maintain and test emergency response plans. Where risks to external stakeholders are significant, this should be in collaboration with potentially affected stakeholders and consistent with established industry good practice.
   3. Develop, maintain and test emergency response plans. Where risks to external stakeholders are significant, this should be in collaboration with potentially affected stakeholders and consistent with established industry good practice.
3. Pursue continual improvement in environmental performance issues, such as water stewardship, energy use and climate change.
   1. Plan and design for closure in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders, implement measures to address closure-related environmental and social aspects, and make financial provision to enable agreed closure and post-closure commitments to be realised.
   2. Apply the mitigation hierarchy to prevent pollution, manage releases and waste, and address potential impacts on human health and the environment.
4. Pursue continual improvement in social performance and contribute to the social, economic and institutional development of host countries and communities.
   1. Implement inclusive approaches with local communities to identify their development priorities and support activities that contribute to their lasting social and economic wellbeing, in partnership with government, civil society and development agencies, as appropriate.
   2. Enable access by local enterprises to procurement and contracting opportunities across the project life-cycle, both directly and by encouraging larger contractors and suppliers, and also by supporting initiatives to enhance economic opportunities for local communities
   3. Conduct stakeholder engagement based upon an analysis of the local context and provide local with stakeholders access to effective mechanisms for seeking resolution of grievances related to the company and its activities
   4. Collaborate with government, where appropriate, to support improvements in environmental and social practices of local artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)

Position Statements:
Mining and Indigenous Peoples

1. Engage with potentially impacted indigenous peoples with the objectives of: (i) ensuring that the development of mining and metals projects fosters respect for the rights, interests, aspirations, culture and natural resource-based livelihoods of indigenous peoples; (ii) designing projects to avoid adverse impacts and minimising, managing or compensating for unavoidable residual impacts; and (iii) ensuring sustainable benefits and opportunities for indigenous peoples through the development of mining and metals projects..
2. Understand and respect the rights, interests and perspectives of indigenous peoples regarding a project and its potential impacts. Social and environmental impact assessments or other social baseline analyses will be undertaken to identify those who may be impacted by a project as well as the nature and extent of potential impacts on indigenous peoples and any other potentially impacted communities. The conduct of such studies should be participatory and inclusive to help build broad cross-cultural understanding between companies and communities and in support of the objectives described in commitment 1 above.
3. Agree on appropriate engagement and consultation processes with potentially impacted indigenous peoples and relevant government authorities as early as possible during project planning, to ensure the meaningful participation of indigenous peoples in decision making. Where required, support should be provided to build community capacity for good faith negotiation on an equitable basis. These processes should strive to be consistent with indigenous peoples’ decision-making processes and reflect internationally accepted human rights, and be commensurate with the scale of the potential impacts and vulnerability of impacted communities. The processes should embody the attributes of good faith negotiation and be documented in a plan that identifies representatives of potentially impacted indigenous communities and government, agreed consultation processes and protocols, reciprocal responsibilities of parties to the engagement process and agreed avenues of recourse in the event of disagreements or impasses occurring (see commitment 6 below). The plan should also define what would constitute consent from indigenous communities that may be significantly impacted. Agreed engagement and consultation processes should be applied in collaboration with potentially impacted indigenous communities, in a manner that ensures their meaningful participation in decision making.
4. Work to obtain the consent of indigenous communities for new projects (and changes to existing projects) that are located on lands traditionally owned by or under customary use of indigenous peoples and are likely to have significant adverse impacts on indigenous peoples, including where relocation of indigenous peoples and/or significant adverse impacts on critical cultural heritage are likely to occur. Consent processes should focus on reaching agreement on the basis for which a project (or changes to existing projects) should proceed. These processes should neither confer veto rights to individuals or sub-groups nor require unanimous support from potentially impacted indigenous peoples (unless legally mandated). Consent processes should not require companies to agree to aspects not under their control.
5. Collaborate with the responsible authorities to achieve outcomes consistent with the commitments in this position statement, in situations where government is responsible for managing indigenous peoples’ interests in a way that limits company involvement. Where a host government requires members to follow processes that have been designed to achieve the outcomes sought through this position statement, ICMM members will not be expected to establish parallel processes.
6. Address the likelihood that differences of opinion will arise, which in some cases may lead to setbacks or delays in reaching a negotiated agreement in good faith. Companies and potentially impacted indigenous communities should agree on reasonable tests or avenues of recourse at the outset, to be applied where differences of opinion arise. This might include seeking mediation or advice from mutually acceptable parties. Where commitment 4 applies and consent is not forthcoming despite the best efforts of all parties, in balancing the rights and interests of indigenous peoples with the wider population, government might determine that a project should proceed and specify the conditions that should apply. In such circumstances, ICMM members will determine whether they ought to remain involved with a project.

Mining Partnerships for Development:

1. Either individually or collectively through ICMM publicly express their willingness to work in partnership with development agencies, host governments, civil society organisations, and local communities to enhance mining and metals’ contribution to social and economic development.
2. For major investments in regions where socio-economic outcomes are highly uncertain or where there are significant opportunities to enhance such outcomes: (i) develop an understanding of the social and economic contribution of the project, including an analysis of the barriers that might weaken this contribution; and (ii) actively support or help develop partnerships or collaborations with other stakeholder groups with the aim of ensuring the project’s potential socio-economic contribution is realised.
3. Review the relative success of their development partnerships and collaborations at suitable intervals and adapt these over time to ensure they continue to contribute to the overall goal of enhancing the social and economic contribution of mining.

We apply ICMM’s guidance on:

• Mining Partnership for Development Toolkit (2011)
• Community Development Toolkit (2012)
• Indigenous Peoples Position Statement (2013)
• Good Practice Guide: Indigenous Peoples and Mining (2015)
• Stakeholder Research Toolkit (2015)
• Understanding Company-Community Relations (2015)
• Handling and Resolving Local-level Concerns and Grievances (2019)
• Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (2020)
• Building Forward Better (2020)
• Partnering for our Common Future (2021)
• Tools for Social Performance (2022)
• Human Rights Due Diligence Toolkit (2023)
• Position Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (2023)

As a member of the World Gold Council (WGC), we are required to implement and publicly report and assure our performance against its Responsible Gold Mining Principles, particularly:

1. Working with communities: we aim to contribute to the socio-economic advancement of communities associated with our operations and to treat them with dignity and respect.
   1. Community consultation: We will consult regularly and in good faith with the communities associated with our operations on matters of interest to them, and will take account of their perspectives and concerns.
   2. Understanding communities: We will ensure that we engage with communities, including traditional leaders, in a culturally appropriate manner. We will be alert to the dangers of causing differentially negative impacts on women, children, Indigenous Peoples and other potentially vulnerable or marginalised groups. We will strive to ensure that the voices of these groups are heard, and that this knowledge is integrated into how we do business.
   3. Creating local benefits: We will ensure that the communities associated with our operations are offered meaningful opportunities to benefit from our presence, including through access to jobs and training, and procurement opportunities for local businesses and social investment.
   4. Seeking community support: We will seek to obtain and sustain the broad-based support of communities affected by our activities.
   5. In-migration: We will work with local authorities and community leaders to control or manage the impact of migratory influxes of people attracted by mine development.
   6. Indigenous Peoples:  We will respect the collective and customary rights, culture and connection to the land of Indigenous Peoples. We will work to obtain their free, prior and informed consent where significant adverse impacts may occur during exploration, project design, operation and closure, including around the delivery of sustainable benefits.
   7. Cultural heritage: We will seek to preserve cultural heritage from adverse impacts associated with project activities, including through our impact assessments. We will put in place chance finds procedures at all relevant operations.
   8. Resettlement:  We will seek to avoid involuntary resettlement. Where this is unavoidable, we will proceed on the basis of meaningful consultation with affected communities, a publicly available planning framework, the restoration of established livelihoods and the provision of fair and timely compensation. We will seek to minimise adverse impacts on displaced people.

We interact with peers on social performance and community relations in a range of WGC and ICMM working groups specifically the ICMM Community Support Practice Group, Indigenous Peoples Working Group and Skills Initiatives Working Group and WGC Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining Working Group.

National industry associations in our countries of operation also address community relations and we participate actively in these forms.

Management Actions

Gold Fields has a Social Performance Framework which requires our operations to assess the baseline social context, engage and build relationships, create and share value, management impacts, measure delivery and action improvement to align delivery with commitments. We actively identify, map and engage with stakeholder representatives, including host communities and governments, on a regular basis – both formally and informally.

All of our operations are required to implement culturally appropriate stakeholder engagement plans for all stages of the life-of-mine.

All mines and projects have established mechanisms through which communities can voice their grievances and concerns about the company and have these issues assessed and resolved within a specified period.

In accordance with our commitments and our vision and purpose statements, our regions implemented annually updated government and community action plans.

Our mines apply the Gold Fields nine Community Relations Standards, which guide our interactions with communities as well as other key stakeholders. These are described in the Gold Fields Community Relations and Stkaheolder Engagement Handbook.

In 2016, Gold Fields started implementing a strategy aimed at enhancing host community value creation. At that point, we ranked losing our social licence to operate as the Group's fifth-highest risk. This risk has decreased due to the successful implementation of our targeted Host Community Value Creation Strategy (including host community procurement, job creation and socio-economic development) and other social performance and environmental management strategies.

We have framed and conceptualised a pipeline of legacy programmes for implementation from 2023 to 2030. These focus on creating enduring value by addressing our host communities' most pressing development needs, while ensuring economic value creation beyond the life-of-mine and outside the mine's supply chain. The programmes seek to promote: Economic diversification and employment, Climate resilience and protection of water and nature, Sustainable and profitable agriculture, Cultural and heritage preservation, and Quality health.  These legacy programmes build on Gold Fields' 2030 ESG target to generate measurable and wide-reaching outcomes that contribute to the delivery of the UN SDGs.

Our Stakeholders and Partners

Host communities refer to the people who live in the vicinity of our operations and who have been or could be directly affected by our exploration, construction, operational or divestment activities. Each Group operation identifies its host communities to secure its legal and social licences to operate. In total, an estimated 500,000 people live in approximately 60 communities surrounding our eight mines. Our host communities could also include Indigenous Peoples and their representatives, non-governmental organisations / community-based organisations, traditional authorities and local government.

We collaborate with host governments, development organisations and NGOs to deliver our community value creation projects and programmes.

Measurement, Evaluation, Assurance and Assessment

We regularly conduct independent assessments to measure the quality of our relationships and understand the expectations of key stakeholders, including communities and governments. We use these assessments to inform stakeholder engagement plans that help us to build stronger, mutually beneficial relationships with these stakeholders. Over the years, we have seen a mostly positive upward trend in relationships with host communities around our operations.

Gold Fields uses social return on investment (SROI) surveys to identify SED investments that strengthen our social licence to operate.

Outcomes from our operational and strategic stakeholder engagement are logged in our Group External Interaction & Commitment Register and communicated through our Enterprise Risk Management process – and so form a vital part of the Group’s risk management programme.

Reporting and Disclosure

Gold Fields community relations and engagement issues and trends are monitored, reported and transparently reported. This includes but is not limited to: 

• GRI
• ICMM Performance Expectations Report
• The Integrated Annual Report suite, including the Report to Stakeholders
• Local, regional and international selected stakeholder platforms. 

The company’s approach and commitment to host community engagement and relations is publicly disclosed on the Gold Fields website. 

Case Study

Shift the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as part of its Valuing Respect Project, a collaborative initiative to redefine evaluation of business respect for huma rights – has published a case study on Using Relationship Data to Improve Business Practices: Measuring company-community relationships. This is focused on the work by our South Deep mine in recognition of steps the company has taken to improve its practices based on the insight from community shared in the assessment https://shiftproject.org/recourse/case-study-goldfields/