The mining division specialises in surface contract mining.
Our approach is to ensure lasting benefits while minimising our impact on the natural environment.
Our primary focus is ensuring a safe and healthy workplace. Training is an integral part of this focus.
Basil Read is actively involved with South African transformation and broad-based black economic empowerment.
Our expanding footprint has presented challenges in managing our human resources
We strive to protect and sustain the environment, and to manage our impacts effectively, when these are unavoidable.
Basil Read strives to engage with meaningful initiatives that contribute to the transformation of people and communities.
Our reports scope, assurance process and standards used
In addition, we set specific targets in 2015 to maintain our international certification for environmental management (ISO 14001).
Environmental focus areas included:
Our carbon emission report was compiled according to ISO 14064:1, ENCORD (the construction CO2(e) measurement protocol), as well as the greenhouse gas (GHG) protocol guidelines, and covered only activities over which we have control. By applying these principles, the GHG inventory is a fair representation of the company’s related emissions.
In line with international best practice, data was collected on direct emissions (scope 1), indirect emissions (scope 2) and other indirect emissions (scope 3). Direct emissions are those from sources owned or controlled by the company. An indirect emission is the result of Basil Read’s activities, but occurs at sources owned or controlled by another company. While the boundaries of scope 1 and 2 emissions are clearly defined, scope 3 presents more of a challenge. This additional voluntary disclosure requires surveying an organisation’s entire supply chain, as well as those of its suppliers. Basil Read elected to include scope 3 emissions in its carbon footprint in the interest of transparent reporting.
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Water affects the triple bottom line of many businesses. Its availability has an impact on economic development, social upliftment and the wellbeing of the environment. As a business, our risk lies in stricter controls on water access for use.
Basil Read monitors water consumption at its operations. The company used 21 777 kℓ of water in its activities for 2015.
To save water, rainwater from building roofs and groundwater from the subsoil drainage system is collected in storage tanks and used for irrigation, alleviating pressure on the municipal water supply.
A detailed plan ensures waste management is properly implemented. We continue to separate our waste to comply with legislation, and reduce our impact on the environment. In managing our waste, we follow the waste hierarchy, namely:
Our carbon emission report was compiled according to ISO 14064:1, ENCORD, as well as the greenhouse gas (GHG) protocol guidelines, and covered only activities over which we have control. By applying these principles, the GHG inventory is a fair representation of the company’s GHG emissions.
In line with international best practice, data was collected on direct emissions (scope 1), indirect emissions (scope 2) and other indirect emissions (scope 3). Direct emissions are those from sources owned or controlled by the company. An indirect emission is the consequence of the company’s activities, but occurs at sources owned or controlled by another company. While the boundaries of scope 1 and 2 emissions are clearly defined, scope 3 presents more of a challenge. This additional voluntary disclosure requires surveying an organisation’s entire supply chain, as well as those of its suppliers. Basil Read elected to include scope 3 emissions in its carbon footprint in the interest of transparent reporting.
Our carbon footprint quantifies and reports emissions associated with the following activities:
The group has acknowledged this risk; monitoring our carbon emissions is the first step to reaching our carbon emission reduction target. Our climate change‑related risks include:
We are aiming for continuous improvement in managing environmental incidents, in line with our objective of preventing pollution.
We also started an earthworm farm to produce our own environmentally friendly organic fertiliser. We established nurseries at Malibongwe Ridge and Savanna City to propagate trees.
We have also trained about 30 residents in urban farming in our endeavour to build a sustainable community.
There are also houses run entirely on solar power, generated by 14 roof‑mounted solar panels and 12 batteries for storing generated power. This was done in partnership with Sun Concept Renewable Energy Systems as a pilot project.
In partnership with the City of Johannesburg’s environmental department and the Danish Embassy, we fitted 700 low‑cost houses with solar water heaters and insulated ceilings. Eskom participated by supplying all households with energy‑saving lights.