NEWS RELEASE
27 November 2008
EXXARO AMONG SRI INDEX?S ?BEST PERFORMERS?
Diversified
resources group Exxaro Resources Limited (Exxaro) is among the 21 ?best
performers? in the Johannesburg Securities Exchange
(JSE) Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Index announced this week.
The SRI Index
annually assesses the environmental, social and economic sustainability
practices and corporate governance of listed companies. This year 61 companies
succeeded in becoming index constituents out of the 105 companies reviewed.
To join the index,
companies must demonstrate a high standard of reporting and performance in
environmental, social and corporate governance areas.
?No longer can these areas be seen
as peripheral to the core activities of companies,? said
JSE deputy CEO Nicky Newton-King. ?We see the SRI
Index as covering areas essential to every company?s
risk management programme. As such, the SRI Index is therefore a practical tool
for companies and investors.?
Commenting on the
SRI Index announcement, Exxaro?s
executive general manager for safety and sustainable development, Dr Nombasa Tsengwa, said: ?This is a
significant achievement for our young company. It is a demonstration of our
concerted efforts in ensuring that our mining operations consider external
impacts and manage them in a manner that is environmentally, socially and
economically responsible. Holding hands with our stakeholders, sustainability
is a journey we will continue to pursue going into the future.?
In a media
statement issued this week, the JSE said that to identify companies that
clearly meet index requirements, it selects ?best
performers? after each review. ?The
2008 review comprises of 21 ?best performers? that
span industry sectors, including financial services companies, construction
groups, food producers and resources companies. The mining sector, a clear
leader in this respect, accounts for six of the best performers.?
?Our aim is for companies to use
the index criteria as a South African standard against which good triple bottom
line practices are measured, encouraging awareness of the importance of
sustainability matters for business, and especially within the financial
community, said the JSE statement.
This year South Africa?s largest pension fund, the
Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF), is collaborating with the JSE on the
SRI Index. The GEPF is using the research in developing its own SRI policies
and in future, plans to use the data as a basis for engaging with listed
companies in which the fund is invested.
ends
Editor?s Note:
Exxaro is a diversified resources group with
interests in the coal, mineral sands, base metals, industrial minerals and iron
ore commodities. www.exxaro.com
Enquiries:
Dr Nombasa Tsengwa
Executive General Manager: Safety & Sustainable Development
Tel: +27 (0) 12 307 4318
Trevor Arran
Executive General Manager: Corporate Affairs & Investor Relations
Tel: +27 (0) 12 307 3292
Michelle Joubert
Head of SRI Index
Strategy and Legal
Counsel Division: JSE Limited
Tel: +27 (0) 11 520 7080