Land management

Mining activities directly impact the surrounding ecosystem throughout the mine lifecycle. From project design to operational closure, we focus on reducing our physical footprint on the land, identifying, managing and addressing our potential impacts by applying the principles of the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, minimise, restore/mitigate and offset).

We seek opportunities to restore and rehabilitate areas that have ceased industrial activities and, at a minimum, comply with all applicable relevant regulations.

We require our industrial assets to implement closure planning requirements that align with our commitments to international good practice and meet the respective ICMM Performance Expectations. We look for ways to improve our land stewardship activities to enable sustainable conditions within the ecosystems in which we work, and for the communities and species that depend on them.

Watch Lucy Roberts, Head of HSEC and Human Rights, speak about our approach to rehabilitation

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Our approach

We are committed to managing our land in a productive and sustainable manner ensuring proactive stewardship of our landholdings, including those that have not undergone industrial activity.

We review environmental risks and opportunities and integrate them into our planning, operating and business decisions. We require our industrial assets to implement robust land stewardship management systems, including progressive land rehabilitation target setting tied to life of asset planning, that includes standard elements such as an environmental policy, data collection and monitoring, adaptive management, and continuous improvement.

We respect the rights, interests, traditional knowledge, cultural heritage, and ecosystem services of our local communities and Indigenous Peoples and seek to consider these in our planning and operational practices. We are committed to identifying, recording and protecting, in alignment with relevant regulatory requirements and best practice, cultural heritage and archaeologically sensitive locations on our landholdings.

We conduct our work with respect for legally designated areas, such as International Union for Conservation of Nature category I-IV protected areas, and commit to neither mine nor explore in World Heritage Sites.

Biodiversity impact

We recognise the increasing focus in the area of biological diversity and the main outcomes of the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference, known as COP15, that took place in December 2022. We are continuing to develop our thinking in this area by tracking emerging consideration and implications for business emanating from the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, where nations adopted four goals and 23 targets for 2030.

We are actively participating in reviews that support the development of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) recommendations. We have incorporated various draft elements into our environmental governance framework, such as the TNFD’s Locate, Evaluate, Assess, Prepare (LEAP) risk process.

Through the ICMM, we are working with our peers to support the testing, iteration and refinement of the TNFD through pilot testing ICMM’s nature-related risk management and disclosure framework.

An example of how we support species’ preservation and biodiversity conservation is through integrated land use planning and management practices, partnerships, and research, where appropriate. This supports the long-term sustainability of our industrial assets and the environment in which we operate, by seeking opportunities to reduce our operational footprint, wherever possible, and addressing biodiversity impacts. We require our industrial assets to establish a robust environmental and socio-economic knowledge base and develop risk-based biodiversity action plans and site-level biodiversity targets, to drive progress in this critical area.

High biodiversity areas

We own, lease, or manage around 125,000 hectares adjacent to protected areas. All but one of the relevant industrial assets have biodiversity management plans in place. The remaining industrial asset, which is located adjacent to a protected area, is developing its plan during 2023. Around 181,000 hectares is adjacent to high biodiversity areas; all the relevant industrial assets have biodiversity management plans in place. Industrial assets are required to define physical and operational boundaries for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services and undertake biodiversity and ecosystem services baseline studies for use in the completion of risk assessments. These form the basis for the management of biodiversity-related risks and opportunities, including natural capital (ecosystem services) and nature-based solutions, together with consideration of relevant emerging requirements.

Nature-based solutions that have been identified and applied include regulation of water flows and quality, provision of food and shelter, control of pests and disease, regulation and purification of atmospheric gases to name a few. A number of our industrial assets have existing strategic partnerships in place to protect or restore habitat areas, including partnerships with communities. Our approach aligns with ICMM Principles and Performance Expectations.

By the end of 2022, over 70% of our industrial assets had completed biodiversity risk assessments, 45% were identified as requiring biodiversity management plans.

Preliminary results of the biodiversity risk assessments identify key themes such as pollution prevention and control, the protection and regeneration of biodiversity and ecosystems, the sustainable use of resources and indirect impacts such as droughts, floods and forest fires. We are considering the application of controls involving ecological management actions to control invasive species, erosion and sedimentation, as well as regeneration and revegetation strategies including seed collection and propagation and monitoring programmes. During 2023, where required, our industrial assets are expected to develop biodiversity management plans or update existing plans based on the outcomes of the biodiversity risk assessments.

Our industrial assets located within or near areas identiﬁed as having a high biodiversity value include:

Asia

Country	Industrial asset	Area of high biodiversity value
Philippines	Pasar smelter and refinery	Near an area of high biodiversity value containing several endangered coral species as well as mangroves which support fauna such as coral, hermit crabs, mud crabs and birds.
Kazakhstan	Kazzinc (Altay concentrator)	Near Nizhne-Turgusun State Nature Sanctuary, which is of botanical importance

Australia and New Caledonia

Country	Industrial asset	Area of high biodiversity value
Australia	Rolleston mine	Near to the Albinia National Park, which includes a large, protected area that sustains an endangered Bluegrass plant community.
Australia	Clermont mine	Near to the adjoining Blair Athol and Apsley State Forests, and the Bluegrass Nature Refuge. There is also a refuge area for the endangered Belyando Cobbler’s-Peg (a perennial daisy that is short-lived) on the mine lease.
Australia	Hail Creek mine	Near to the Homevale National Park, which protects important biodiversity and historic fossil locations.
Australia	United Wambo mine	Near to the Wollemi National Park.
Australia	Bulga mine	Near the Wollemi and Yengo National Parks and situated adjacent to the Lower Hunter Valley which is an ‘Important Bird and Biodiversity Area’ internationally recognised by BirdLife International. The Wollemi and Yengo National Parks are part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
Australia	Ulan mine	Near the Goulburn River National Park and Munghorn Gap Nature Reserve and lies within the Mudgee-Wollar Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.
Australia	Mount Owen mine	Partly within the Ravensworth State Forest
Australia	Newlands mine	Near the Newlands Nature Refuge area that supports Blue Grass and Brigalow plant communities and birds such as Squatter Pigeon and Satin Flycatcher.
Australia	Queensland Metals (Lady Loretta mine)	Within the Buckley River Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. It supports i.a. habitat of Purple necked Wallaby as well as Carpentarian Grass Wren.
Australia	McArthur River mine	Near the McArthur River which is of high biodiversity value due to the diversity and abundance of fauna that the river supports. A key species of concern is the Largetooth Sawfish, which is listed as Vulnerable under local legislation and the foraging habitat of the Gouldian Finch must be protected.
New Caledonia	Koniambo industrial complex	Within the Massif de Koniambo Important Bird and Biodiversity Area and near the Voh Marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.

Africa

Country	Industrial asset	Area of high biodiversity value
Democratic Republic of Congo	Mutanda Mining	Within the Basse-Kando Hunting Zone which contains species of diverse fauna and flora.
South Africa	Chrome PSV (Helena, Thorncliffe and Magareng mines)	Within the Sekhukuneland Centre of Plant Endemism, the third richest ultramaﬁc-induced Centre of Plant Endemism in Southern Africa. They are also located within Critical Biodiversity Areas identified in provincial biodiversity conservation plans.
South Africa	Chrome PSV (Kroondal mine)	Within the transition zone of the Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve, that lies at the interface between two biomes, the grassland plateaux and the sub-Saharan savanna, and therefore contains species of both biomes and exceptionally diverse fauna and flora. The Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve is located in its concession and also overlaps with the Magaliesberg Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.
South Africa	Chrome PSV (Lydenburg smelter)	Near freshwater critical biodiversity and ecological support areas, as deﬁned in the 2014 Mpumalanga biodiversity conservation plan. It also sits within the Lydenburg Nature Reserve.
	Chrome PSV (Rietvlei and Waterval mines)	Near the Magaliesberg Protected Natural Environment and Magaliesberg Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. Rietvlei mine is located within a Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA 2), adjacent to an Ecological Support Area (ESA 1) and near both, a terrestrial and aquatic CBA 1. The Waterval Chrome mine is located within a CBA 2 and an ESA 2 area.
South Africa	Chrome PSV (Boshoek Smelter)	Within a Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA 2) and an Ecological Support Area (ESA 1) and includes riparian areas of medium sensitivity associated with watercourses.
South Africa	Astron (Milnerton Refinery, East London Terminal and Durban Lubricant Plant)	Near the Rietvlei Wetland Reserve and Bird Sanctuary in the Table Bay Nature Reserve, designated as key biodiversity and protected areas; near East London and South key biodiversity area; and near Bluff Nature Reserve, a key biodiversity area.

Europe

Country	Industrial asset	Area of high biodiversity value
Spain	Asturiana de Zinc (San Juan de Nieva smelter)	Near the Monumento Natural Dunas El Espartal, home to a sensitive and important dune ecosystem and near the Cabo Busto-Luanco Important Bird and Biodiversity Area and Natura 2000 site, which is part of a EU network of core breeding and nesting sites for rare and threatened species and natural habitat types.
United Kingdom	Britannia Reﬁned Metals (BRM) refinery	Near the Thames Estuary and Marshes Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.
Germany	Nordenham smelter	Near the Unterweser Important Bird and Biodiversity Area and Natura 2000 site Unterweser. It is also near the Butjadingen Important Bird and Biodiversity Area and Natura 2000 birds directive site, as well as to the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park, which is also a designated Natura 2000 site.

South America

Country	Industrial asset	Area of high biodiversity value
Colombia	Cerrejon mine	Near the Mushaisa Aguas Blancas Santos Helena private reserve, which is part of the RUNAP network of natural protected areas. Near the Montes de Octa forest reserve.
Brazil	AleSat (Brasilia Terminal)	Near Brasilia National Park, a key biodiversity and protected area.

North America

Country	Industrial asset	Area of high biodiversity value
Canada	CCR refinery	Near the Fleuve Saint-Laurent protected area, which is on the banks of the St Lawrence river. This area is an important waterfowl gathering area, and near the Iles-de-Boucherville national park.
Canada	Sudbury mine	Near the Windy Lake Provincial Park, which is protected as a recreational area
Canada	Raglan mine	Near a meteoritic crater within the Parc national des Pingualuit

Sustaining biodiversity at Botany Marsh

Our Britannia Refined Metals (BRM) industrial asset owns 18.5 hectares of marshland adjoining the River Thames in Kent, UK. Since 2013, BRM has worked with Kent Wildlife Trust to implement a Habitat Management Plan on the land, and to help the Botany Marshes achieve conditions for nurturing biodiversity. In 2017, the status of Local Wildlife Site was reached and in 2021 the site was incorporated into the broader protected area known as Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest – a legal designation by Natural England).

Before the works started, the marsh had deteriorated considerably since the first study was carried out in 2004, and without intervention it would have deteriorate to a level where it would have not supported the protected species any longer. The Habitat Management Plan included, for example, creating a new open water area exclusively for birds, and egg-laying sites for grass snakes.

Ongoing maintenance activities are carried out, like cutting reed beds and bankside vegetation to preserve natural habitats, and removal of shrub to create sheltered conditions for invertebrates and basking locations for reptiles. The marshland is open to the local community, and local schools use it for educational field trips. It includes features such as a looped Nature Walk with information boards, benches, picnic table and a large grass area suitable for football.

In 2019, an ecological survey found that the area has become home to a new resident – the water vole. This was a fantastic development, as the water vole is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority species and protected by wildlife legislation.

Furthermore, bird surveys and bird ringing campaigns confirmed the positive trend on the variety and quantity of birds visiting and nesting on the Marsh, including legally protected species. The site has become a local spot for birdwatching with sightings being recorded online.

Progressive rehabilitation

We recognise that we are temporary custodians of the land on which we operate and are committed to responsible land ownership and meeting community expectations. Mining is, by definition, a temporary land use and, at the end of its operational life cycle, the land completes its transition to a post-mining land use.

Our industrial assets are required to develop closure plans, including progressive rehabilitation programmes, to incrementally restore the land over the life of an industrial asset. We require our industrial assets to consult with local communities on the development of their closure plans and monitor the societal risks and opportunities associated with closure. Financial estimates to complete this post-mining restoration are developed before the end of operations, with financial assurance typically provided to government agencies prior to development or expansion.

Rehabilitation of previously impacted areas improves the visual appeal of the landscape and reduces dust emissions, erosion and sedimentation, as well as helping to minimise the impact of wind-blown dust from other areas. Where feasible, we conduct progressive rehabilitation on previously disturbed areas once active operations have completed.

Planning for land rehabilitation starts prior to the disturbance of operational areas. The land rehabilitation plans are a fundamental component of our environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) process. Where appropriate, the ESIA take place ahead of the start of a project and supports the application for environmental permitting. During the ESIA process, financial provision is typically made and held in reserve for the purpose of rehabilitation and closure efforts once operations have ceased.

During the ESIA process, our industrial assets undertake baseline data collection and monitoring programmes, which include collecting pre-disturbance data, to support the eventual restoration efforts. Industrial assets use this data to understand the potential impacts of the operation on the local ecosystem and to identify opportunities to manage and mitigate these potential impacts. We require our industrial assets to develop action plans to minimise disturbance to the ecosystem and engage with local communities to identify appropriate post-mining land uses.

We aim to return the land we mine to either the same or better than its pre-mining condition aligned with the closure vision. Rehabilitation typically involves levelling and contouring the land, adding topsoil and re-seeding it with plant species native to the region, or returning the land to pasture.

Transitioning to closure

Our approach to closure planning recognises that limiting our environmental footprint from the outset of operations reduces closure-related impacts and liabilities in the long term. As such, our closure planning and financial provisioning begins in an industrial asset’s design phase and is updated throughout its operational life, incorporating the principles of adaptive management.

Closure planning ensures the safe and responsible closure of industrial assets that have reached the end of operational life. Our Closure Planning Standard requires our industrial assets to undertake a self-assessment against the ICMM Closure Maturity Framework to determine their level of closure planning maturity against a desired level of maturity to a level of international good practice.

We require our industrial assets to consult with local communities on the development of their closure plans and monitor the societal risks and opportunities associated with closure. Financial estimates to complete this post-mining restoration are developed before the end of operations, with financial assurance typically provided to government agencies prior to development or expansion.

In addition to the industrial assets we have constructed and developed, Glencore has acquired, through mergers and acquisitions, a number of older mines and legacy operations. We have a specialised management process for these legacy operations, which supports the identification and implementation of appropriate monitoring and responsible restoration.