ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY HEADLINESEnvironment and Sustainability
Vale's Worldwide Operations Raise Water Reuse to 76%
Aug. 24, 2009 Of the 1.37 billion m3 of water consumed by Vale in 2008, 1.03 billion m3, or 76%, came from recirculation and reuse projects in various locations, according to its recently released 2008 Sustainability Report. The figure represents an 11% improvement compared to 2007.
One reason for the improvement, which according to Vale makes it a leader in reuse of water resources in the mining sector, is increased water storage capacity, enabling the company to optimize reutilization in various sites.
In the 2008 Sustainability Report, which follows the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) methodology, Vale described 73 environmental, social, and economic indicators — 22 more than in 2007, when the company first adopted the GRI model.
The 2008 document complies with "G3," the latest version of GRI guidelines, and is classified as B+ on a scale from C to A+. The report underwent an external verification, conducted by consulting firm KPMG Assurance Services.
Among the topics covered in the report is Vale’s sustainability strategy, which is based on three pillars: operating sustainably, catalyzing local development, and acting as a global agent for sustainability. Issued in January 2009, Vale’s Sustainable Development Policy is more in line with international initiatives, such as the United Nations Global Compact and the International Council on Mining & Metals, a global forum on sustainability in the sector.
One of the global challenges for its Sustainable Development Policy is climate change. In 2008, the company's greenhouse gas emissions stood at 16.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, 10% higher than in 2007. The increase was mainly due to the incorporation of Vale Australia units and improvements to the emission calculations methodology.
Last year, the company launched its Corporate Guidelines on Climate Change and Carbon, including the Vale Carbon Program. Among a series of globally coordinated projects the company is carrying out is one to replace fuel oil with natural gas in pelletizing plants in Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais, which cut emissions by 139,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent between 2007 and 2008.
Vale invested US$678 million in environmental projects in 2008, up 50% from 2007. Acquiring and installing environmental control equipment, environmental maintenance and geotechnical safety of dams and slag heaps, and reforestation and restoration of degraded areas accounted for most of it.