Sasol (JSE: SOL; NYSE: SSL) Issues 2007 Sustainable Development Report Outlining, Amongst Others, an Environmental Roadmap
20 November 2007 - 3:05AM
PR Newswire (US)
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The
continuous improvement in Sasol's safety performance and
transformation rank as important milestones among many other
important achievements listed in the group's 2007 sustainability
development report, issued in Johannesburg today. Sasol's safety
record is at an all time high, there have been significant strides
in black economic empowerment (BEE), and an environmental roadmap
for the next 15 years, with particular focus on managing greenhouse
gases and water, has been put in place. "The significant
improvement in our safety performance is pleasing. However, our
foremost objective is to operate with zero safety incidents. We are
determined to achieve this by continuing to entrench a shift in
safety attitudes and behaviours," Sasol CE Pat Davies said at the
launch of the report. Davies said that Sasol has invested much in
improving its image among stakeholders and in society at large.
This includes forging closer ties with organised labour,
communities, environmental experts, and the South African and other
governments to ensure greater alignment of activities to national
socioeconomic objectives, as well as sufficient communication of
the group's activities and plans. The group is also witnessing
positive impacts emanating from an initiative to promote a culture
of values driven leadership. Sasol recently announced a
transaction, which if approved by shareholders, will be South
Africa's largest single broad-based BEE ownership deal to date. It
will involve the proposed transfer of a 10% interest in Sasol
Limited to South African employees, black shareholders and a Sasol
Foundation, which will focus on capacity building and skills
development, particularly in science and technology. "I am very
excited by this transaction as I believe it will contribute
significantly to achieving our growth strategy and South Africa's
long-term economic success," says Davies. In consultation with key
stakeholders, as well as through its internal risk assessment
processes, Sasol has identified its most material sustainability
challenges to include climate change, safety, skills development
and BEE. "Once again, we have used the sustainable development
report as an opportunity to engage in constructive and frank
dialogue with our key stakeholders, thus helping us to respond
effectively to the risks and opportunities of sustainable
development," said Davies. A series of high-level thematic
dialogues were held between Sasol management and leading external
practitioners on safety, climate change and skills development.
Sasol will be hosting the BEE dialogue in 2008. An independent
summary review of these dialogues can be found in the report, which
has been prepared in line with the G3 reporting guidelines of the
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). "We consider global climate
change to be one of our principal strategic challenges, not only
for our existing operations, but also as we investigate
opportunities to roll out our coal and gas to liquids technologies
globally," said Sasol's environmental expert Fred Goede. Goede is
one of several South Africans on the Intergovernmental Panel for
Climate Change (IPCC), which recently won the Nobel Peace Prize
jointly with Al Gore of the USA. In the light of the potential
peaking of crude oil, Sasol believes that its technologies will
form an important part of the global search for solutions to the
energy challenge. To this end the group is investigating
opportunities for carbon capture and storage, and continues to
explore the potential for producing fuel from renewable energy and
raw material such as fuel cells and biodiesel. In dealing with the
water issue, Sasol is at an early stage of implementing
water-saving and effluent management projects. Means to secure
sufficient water supplies have been identified and all projects are
being designed with greater emphasis on reducing raw water demand
and improving overall water and effluent management. The global
lack of skilled workers is being met by a comprehensive skills
development programme aimed at improving the group's internal
skills development capacity, as well as contributing to external
skills development initiatives in partnership with government and
other employers. In light of these efforts, which have been
sustained since the first external sustainable development report
was issued 1996, Sasol has been recognised a leader in corporate
sustainability reporting. The 2006 report won the following
accolades: * Overall winner Best Sustainability Report --
administered by the South African Association of Chartered
Certified Accountants (ACCA) * Best Sustainability Report in the
extractive industries sector -- ACCA * Winner of the Ernst &
Young Excellence in Sustainability reporting annual award. * Sasol
was listed as the sole African company under the "Rest of the World
Top 100" sustainability reports by Context's and
CorporateRegister.com's seventh annual report on corporate
responsibility reporting * Sasol was included in the top 100 global
reports listed in the UNEP/Sustainability reporting, "Tomorrow's
Value." * The UN Global Compact included Sasol on its list of
"Notable Communications on Progress" for its reporting on
implementation of the global Compact principle. For more
information Marina Bidoli, Sasol Group Communications Manager
Direct telephone +27 (11) 441 3511; Johann van Rheede, Sasol Media
Manager Direct telephone +27 (011) 441-3295; Mobile +27 (0) 82329
0186; Sasol is an integrated oil and gas company with substantial
chemical interests. Based in South Africa and operating worldwide,
Sasol is listed on the NYSE and JSE stock exchanges. We are the
leading provider of liquid fuels in South Africa and a major
international producer of chemicals. Sasol uses proprietary
technologies for the commercial production of synthetic fuels and
chemicals from low-grade coal and natural gas. We manufacture more
than 200 fuel and chemical products that are sold worldwide. In
South Africa we also operate coal mines to provide feedstock for
our synthetic fuels plants. Sasol operates the only inland crude
oil refinery in South Africa. The group produces crude oil in
offshore Gabon, supplies Mozambican natural gas to end- user
customers and petrochemical plants in South Africa, and with
partners involved in gas-to-liquids fuel joint ventures in Qatar
and Nigeria. Internet address: http://www.sasol.com/ Disclaimer --
Forward-looking statements We may in this document make statements
that are not historical facts and relate to analyses and other
information based on forecasts of future results and estimates of
amounts not yet determinable. There are forward-looking statements
as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Words such as "believe", "anticipate", "expect", "intend",
"seek", "will", "plan", "could", "may", "endeavour" and "project"
and similar expressions are intended to identify such
forward-looking statements, but are not exclusive means of
identifying such statements. By their very nature, forward-looking
statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general
and specific, and there are risks that predictions, forecasts,
projections and other forward-looking statements will not be
achieved. If one or more of these risks materialize, or should
underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may be very
different from those anticipated. The factors that could cause our
actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives,
expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such
forward-looking statements are discussed more fully in our annual
report under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on Form 20-F filed
on November 2, 2006 and in other filings with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements
apply only as of the date on which they are made and Sasol does not
undertake any obligation to update or revise any of them, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
DATASOURCE: Sasol Limited CONTACT: Marina Bidoli, Group
Communications Manager, +27(11)441-3511, , or Johann van Rheede,
Media Manager, +27(011)-441-3295, or cell, +27(0)82329-0186, , both
of Sasol Limited Web site: http://www.sasol.com/
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