Better Health for All

Anglo American's operations have resulted in severe negative health externalities, notably the lead poisoning affecting approximately 140,000 people in Kabwe, Zambia, from a mine Anglo American South Africa was involved with from 1925 to 1974

. Soil contamination in Kabwe reached 60,000 milligrams of lead per kilogram, significantly exceeding the U.S. EPA's hazardous level of 200 mg/kg , and a toxic spill released tons of pollutants into a major river . The company also faced "serious" charges from Chile's environmental regulator for water issues at its El Soldado copper mine due to an unbuilt drainage system , and failed to inform the agency about related problems or develop a maintenance plan . This indicates incomplete risk transparency. Despite these issues, Anglo American has implemented several health-positive initiatives. It has expanded global mental health resources, including a "WeCare" program, a "Pathways to Care" leader awareness and intervention program, mental wellness workshops, and refresher training for mental health first aiders . The company also has a Woodsmith project for polyhalite fertilizer, contributing to sustainable food production .

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Anglo American's enterprise development programs show significant wealth-building outcomes, with 1,890 out of 3,150 program participants (60%) achieving permanent employment.

Additionally, participants in programs like Tokafala and EmpreaT! saw average revenue increases of 39% and 46% respectively, and the Emerge model supported sales increases of 30% to 100%. The company reinvests 1.7% of its underlying EBIT in Community Social Investment (CSI) expenditure. Financial wellness awareness training reached over 24,500 people, representing approximately 44.5% of its total workforce of 55,000 employees. As a mining company, Anglo American does not primarily offer consumer financial services, resulting in a score of 0 for KPIs related to consumer lending, fees, data accessibility, and geographic inclusion of financial access points.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Anglo American's CEO total compensation to median employee pay ratio is 36:1.

The company was globally accredited as a "committed global living wage employer" by the Fair Wage Network in January 2023, being the first mining company and third company worldwide to achieve this. Anglo American has been named one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality in the UK for five consecutive years, recognized for policies addressing pay disparities, progression, flexible working, family-friendly policies, and tackling sexual harassment. The Mogalakwena mine complex received IRMA 50 certification, meeting 40 critical requirements and scoring 50 or 75 percent on business integrity, planning for positive legacies, social responsibility, and environmental responsibility. The company launched a "Living with Dignity hub" in South Africa to provide an independent reporting channel and support for victims of gender-based violence, bullying, harassment, and victimisation. Anglo American is committed to the International Labour Organisation’s core labour rights, including freedom of association and collective bargaining, and has a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery, forced labour, child labour, and unfair discrimination. In 2018, Anglo American and five other companies paid approximately $390 million to settle a class action suit by former gold miners suffering from silicosis. A lawsuit was filed against the company in South Africa by Zambian women and children alleging widespread lead poisoning from a mine it operated until 1974.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

In 2024, Anglo American directed 88% of its total supplier spend, amounting to $12.1 billion out of $13.7 billion, to local suppliers.

This includes $2.3 billion spent with host communities in the direct vicinity of operations. All of Anglo American's 13,000+ suppliers are required to comply with its Responsible Sourcing requirements, which are embedded in all supplier contract templates and purchase order conditions. Breaches of these requirements can lead to a review of the business relationship and potential contract termination.

Honest & Fair Business

Anglo American paid $571,420 in environmental fines in 2024.

The company publishes audited financial statements. It has a Group Whistleblowing Policy, effective from November 16, 2022, which includes a 24/7 "YourVoice" helpline operated by an independent third-party service provider, and acknowledges reports within two business days, aiming to provide updates within three months. Anglo American also publishes an anti-corruption policy, including a Code of Conduct and Group Business Integrity Policy, which describes how the company manages corruption risk with regards to identification and use of beneficial ownership data.

Kind to Animals

The company aims for Net Positive Impact (NPI) and has a Biodiversity Management Programme with external assurance.

It has numerous conservation initiatives, including a 165-hectare game farm (to expand to 500 hectares) where bird species increased from 50+ to 164, and reintroductions of Eland, sable, and buffalo. Anglo American donated US$5 million to the Amazon Protected Areas Program for 60 million hectares of conservation and maintains 20K HA of forestry areas. However, its operations have been linked to the loss of habitats for vulnerable species like the Telmatobius Peruvianus frog and aquatic biodiversity. There are allegations of animal deaths (cows, goats, fish, rabbits, ducks, and other birds) near the El Soldado mine due to water contamination. The company failed to properly mark and monitor 3,867 vulnerable "Sapo rulo" frogs and has faced multiple fines and charges for environmental non-compliance in Chile between 2022 and 2024, including for water-use irregularities and acid drainage.

Planet-Friendly Business

In 2024, Anglo American's total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions were 182.2 million tCO2e.

The company sourced 57% of its electricity from renewable sources in 2024. Its non-mineral waste diversion rate was 74% in 2024. The company paid five significant environmental fines during 2024. Anglo American aligns its climate-related disclosures with the TCFD framework and uses climate scenario analysis.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Anglo American has a mandatory community grievance mechanism across all its operations.

In 2024, the company directed 88% of its total supplier spend, amounting to $12.1 billion, to local suppliers. A formal cultural impact assessment protocol is in place, including the Assessment of Social and Human Rights Impacts and Risks (SHIRA) and an internationally recognised Social Way Toolkit. No cultural appropriation incidents are reported, and the company has preventative frameworks in place. Active measures are taken to protect cultural sites, such as redesigning the Minas-Rio project to avoid impacting two prehistoric archaeological sites, identifying over 100 archaeological sites, recovering over 200,000 artefacts, and implementing restoration programs. The company also tracks incidents with social consequences and has a Social Way Policy for managing community grievances and incidents.

Safe & Smart Tech

Anglo American achieved a 99.9% completion rate for its cybersecurity and data privacy awareness course among employees

. Its global cyber operations team also attained ISO 27001 certification and accreditation . However, the company experienced a data breach on May 22, 2025 , attributed to the threat actor Arkana , with an unknown leak size .

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Anglo American PLC achieved an 88% overall waste diversion rate in 2024

, with 93% for in-scope waste streams , and an 83% reduction in total waste sent to landfill compared to a 2013 baseline . The company has implemented numerous waste reduction initiatives, including a zero-waste-to-landfill strategy , at-source sorting , upgrading sorting facilities , investigating slag use in construction , trialling coarse particle recovery , developing microbial solutions , exploring mineral waste for agriculture and carbon sequestration , and piloting the production of paving blocks from tailings waste, with 230,000 blocks donated . For hazardous waste, 59.09% was recovered in 2023 , and the company has a Group Technical Standard on Hazardous Materials Management . However, the company paid five significant environmental fines totaling $571,420 in 2024 . Anglo American has company-wide waste reduction targets, including an 89% diversion target for in-scope waste streams and aims for a 50% reduction in tailings risk by 2025-2027 . The company's Responsible Sourcing Standard includes environmental protection expectations and waste-related requirements for suppliers .