5
2012 - AMBATOVY SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
Sustainability is
embedded in our
company’s vision,
mission and values,
and practiced in our
day-to-day activities.
I have been fortunate
enough to lead a
company that already
has in place a strong
culture of and
commitment to sustainability. Since its inception,
Ambatovy has been laying the groundwork for sustainable
operations.
Over the past year, I have been continuously impressed by
the commitment of our people who uphold our principles
and integrate them into their everyday work. It is this kind
of commitment that has been, and will continue to be, the
key to our success.
Since our last sustainability report was published one
year ago, Ambatovy has reached several milestones. We
commenced operations of the final processing and utilities
circuits and began exporting refined nickel and cobalt.
These successes represent significant milestones in our
company’s history and in Madagascar, where such an
investment is unprecedented.
Amid our operational success, I have emphasized the
need to maintain proactive and meaningful engagement
with our stakeholders, giving us a “social license to
operate.” Our sustainability report for 2012 showcases our
commitment to stakeholder engagement and community
development, as well as economic development,
environmental preservation and safety in the workplace.
The examples in these pages demonstrate that we are
serious about sustainability in a way that creates
shared value for our stakeholders.The report also
identifies challenges we met and where we need to
strengthen our efforts.
Part of our success is attributed to our partnerships that
allow us to enhance our ability to address sustainability
issues. In 2012, we continued to work with a number of
external organizations, including UNICEF, Conservation
International, CARE International and the Wildlife
Conservation Society. We also formed a new partnership
with the United Nations and the International Committee
of the Red Cross, collaborating on the development and
implementation of human rights awareness training. Our
relationships with these organizations provide important
feedback and guidance to help improve our social and
environmental performance on the ground.
As we look ahead, we will place an even greater emphasis
on health and safety and achieving our objective of zero
lost time. At Ambatovy, health and safety is everyone’s
responsibility – not just that of a specific group of people.
This principle is something that we have been promoting
across the company. Despite our efforts, there were four
separate work-related fatalities during the year. In each
instance, corrective measures were implemented and
health and safety systems were reviewed to prevent and
better manage risks.
We are aware that there still remains much to be done in
the area of sustainability. We continue to learn from our
experiences and the best practices of others. At the same
time, I believe we have made significant strides over the
past year and hope this report helps to illustrate that.
By making this report available to you, we hope to
stimulate constructive dialogue. To that end, we
welcome your feedback, which you can share with us by
emailing
Thank you for taking the time to read our 2012 report.
Sincerely,
Mark Plamondon
President’s message
