Listening to community concerns

Throughout our operations, as well as supporting health, educational and other socially positive initiatives, we use SEATs to help us identify and address any negative impacts we have on the communities where we operate.

Our work to address factors like the ‘nuisance smell’ at our Syktyvkar mill in Russia’s Komi Republic and our Richards Bay mill in South Africa is described in our 2007 sustainability report. Here we are engaging with local communities to establish their concerns and undertake the investment and technical work necessary to reduce and ultimately eradicate the issues. For example, we have committed to making Richards Bay a ‘smell-free’ operation by 2009. In July 2007 we held an open day, when we discussed the issue fully and transparently alongside a number of other factors of concern to the community, enabling them to ensure that we were fully aware of their worries and were acting to address them.

Last change: 27/03/2008