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Environmental stewardship – key highlights

Revegetated tailings dam, Damang, Ghana


TAILINGS PORTAL LIVE

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NEW TSF PORTAL

SUPPORTING THE INNOVATION FOR CLEANER SAFER VEHICLES

This ICMM initiative – chaired by outgoing CEO Nick Holland – focuses on developing a new generation of mining vehicles that support our industry’s mission towards zero harm and decarbonisation

ADOPTING RENEWABLES, REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

Find out more about the renewable energy microgrid – one of the world’s largest – at our Granny Smith mine in Western Australia

2025 ESG CHARTER TARGETS

Strategic priorities

Pursuing decarbonisation and building resilience to climate change in line with our commitment to the Paris Agreement

Full compliance with the 2020 Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management

Strategic intents

  • Continue pursuing carbon emissions reductions at all our operations

    Increase Group renewable energy use and include at least 20% renewables in all new projects

    Introduce electric vehicles in our underground operations

    Reduce freshwater use and optimise Group water recycling and reuse levels

  • Achieve and maintain compliance with the GISTM as committed to by ICMM members

ASSOCIATED GROUP RISKS

7

Safety

Safety and health of our employees, including occupational illnesses

8

Energy

Security of power supply and cost of energy

9

Climate change

Failure to implement climate change adaptation measures

13

Water

Water pollution, security and reduction in freshwater consumption

19

Ezulwini and Cooke 3, 2 and 1

Ezulwini and Cooke 3, 2 and 1 rewatering impact on South Deep

RELATED SDG

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Clean water and sanitation

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Affordable and clean energy

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Climate action

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Life on land

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Responsible consumption and production

 OVERVIEW AND HISTORY

Gold Fields is committed to responsible environmental stewardship. The conservative use of water and energy resources by our mines is not only critical for them to remain effective, but also to limit the impact of our usage on the surrounding communities and environment. To facilitate this, Gold Fields strictly adheres to all local legislation and regulations, and is guided by a number of leading external standards. We have developed several Group environment-related policies – relating to environmental stewardship, climate change, materials and supply chain stewardship, water stewardship and tailings management – as well as a range of related guidelines.

Water is a key focus area of our environmental strategy. Not only is it becoming an increasingly scarce and expensive resource globally, but we also draw water from the same catchment areas as our local communities. In countries like Peru and Chile, for example, water management has become a key source of friction and conflict between mines and their host communities.

A reliable and cost-efficient supply of energy is equally critical to our operations. Apart from labour, energy is the biggest operational cost at our mines. It is therefore critical that we use energy efficiently, as it is also a significant contributor to our carbon footprint in the form of Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The negative physical impacts of climate change are real and immediate, due to:

  • The long-term risks posed to our operations and surrounding communities because of extreme weather events, such as severe rainfalls and prolonged droughts
  • Increasing efforts to regulate carbon emissions in most of our jurisdictions
  • Taxes on non-renewable energy consumption increasingly being imposed by governments

As such, Gold Fields' climate change programme specifically focuses on energy management programmes to reduce emissions and energy costs, including the use of renewable energies and increasing the reuse and recycling of water. We integrate assessment of climate-related risks and opportunities in project studies, as well as operational and strategic planning.

CO2 INTENSITY

ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENTS

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