Cradle to grave
De Beers offsets its impact
Issiah Byelei is a game scout working at the Venetia
Limpopo Nature Reserve conservation area.
Conserving large tracts of land for
biodiversity conservation and research
is one of the most important ways that
diamond miners the De Beers Group
ensures that its overall impact on the
environment is positive. This is according
to De Beers senior environmental
manager Dr Patti Wickens.
Its properties near Kimberley in the
Northern Cape and near its Venetia
Mine in Limpopo Province, together
with conservation areas at both the major
diamond mines managed by Debswana
in Botswana, make up about 200 000
hectares that are dedicated to biodiversity
conservation and research.
“For every hectare of land used for
mining by the De Beers Group, six
hectares are dedicated to the conservation
of nature,” says Wickens. “This approach
is driven by our objective to have no
net loss of significant biodiversity; an
aim which is now strengthened by our
major shareholder, Anglo American,
committing to having a net positive
impact on biodiversity.”
Working proactively with a network
of conservation and research partners,
including academic institutions and
NGOs, De Beers supports a range of
research projects that make a broad
environmental contribution. The research
conducted — into birds, mammals,
archaeology, and other fields — is also
given the opportunity to be shared
at an annual research conference on
biodiversity-related issues that the
company co-hosts each year.
Fostering this vibrant network of
specialists allows researchers to be
readily mobilised when, for instance,
a rare species is identified on one of
its properties; such research could
even lead to specific initiatives that
promote biodiversity. Supporting this
conservation research helps build
capacity among young conservationists
and scientists, as wildlife college
students can avail the company’s
properties for experiential learning.
The properties are also made available
for specific research projects by
postgraduate students.
Wickens emphasises that a key
part of De Beers’ business approach
is to internalise all environmental and
closure costs.
“This gives us both a clear assessment
of the various business risks and
an ability to plan the necessary
biodiversity actions where new projects
are envisaged,” she says. “This means
understanding, in detail, the levels of
biodiversity risk in each of the areas in
which we operate; hence, our careful
focus on this impact.”
SEPTEMBER 2018 MINING MIRROR
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