ANGLOGOLD Ashanti said it had significantly improved its rating on the FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index Series which grades listed companies’ performance in terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters.
AngloGold Ashanti scored an overall rating of 4.2, compared to the 3.2 achieved last year, out of a maximum achievable score of five. This was significantly above the average of three for the gold-mining sector, and the 2.5 for the basic materials’ sector as a whole. The company scored 4.2 for its environmental performance, 4 for its social performance, and 4.6 for governance, it said.
“Mining is by its very nature an invasive activity, so it’s crucial to devote significant time, energy and resources to improving our performance with respect to each of the key ESG areas,” said AngloGold Ashanti CEO, Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan.
“While our ranking in the Index Series is an important milestone, we realise there remains much for us to do on this journey,and we remain committed to doing our utmost not only for the sustainability of our business, but for the countries, communities and environments in which we operate,” he added.
At 3.5%, AngloGold Ashanti has the fifth-largest weighting in the 32-member index, which includes a range of companies from banks and healthcare groups, to retailers and telecommunication providers, the company said.
