Sustainable development

Interview Catherine Tissot-Colle, Vice-President, Communications & Sustainable Development, member of the ERAMET Group's Executive Committee.

Our approach

Founded in 1999, the ERAMET Group set up an Environmental Charter in 2002. Today, industrial risks and the environment are supervised by the Communications and Sustainable Development Department, taking environmental, social and economic aspects into account. The head of the Department is a member of the Executive Committee.

Our methodology

For the Group, knowing the exact impact of its activities is a necessity. The ability to plan ahead and assess both progress and difficulties is crucial in managing environmental policy. Since 2006, the environmental information system EraGreen (ERAMET Group Environment Exchange Network) has equipped the Group to meet its ambition. 

EraGreen is designed to collect and consolidate industrial sites’ environmental data, forming a Group-wide technical reporting tool. For the third year running , in 2008 the environmental parameters collated based on EraGreen were included in the ERAMET Board of Directors’ management report.

The Group acts within a rationale of continuously improving its environmental performance. EraGreen enables Eramet to measure that performance but is also a source of best practices and, consequently, progress.

On industrial sites, the Group strengthens the teams in place, either by bolstering them or by recruiting young specialised engineers. A “professional channel” has been created for the environment and safety functions. An international club dedicated to health, safety and the environment met for the first time in Grenoble, France in September 2008. In addition to central teams, it brought together representatives of all the Group’s industrial sites and was an opportunity to make the Group’s actions on these issues more cohesive.

Joint teams of environment and safety auditors (support departments and site representatives) take part in audits that are organised on an increasingly integrated basis, with the aim of assessing each site every two or three years. This involvement is likely to foster the sharing of experience between line teams and to let participants benefit from each others’ best practices. The Group’s consultant physician also takes part in industrial site audits.

Preventing industrial risks

The products made by ERAMET may, at some stages in their conversion or use, present risks or hazards. The issue for the Group is to identify those potential dangers exhaustively and prevent and control the resulting risks on its sites and with respect to their external environment. Procedures have been implemented on all sites (except for China) for preventing crises and managing any serious incidents and crises. All sites presenting significant industrial risks are assessed every two years in close cooperation with the insurer and the Group insurance department. In parallel to preventive inspections, meetings are organised to present the main capital expenditure projects to insurers in order to factor in their recommendations from the facility design phase.

ERAMET also signed an extension to the Group Civil Liability policy in 2007, including an Environmental Damage section.

Targeting zero lawsuits

ERAMET promotes a policy of strict compliance with regulations and dialogue with the relevant authorities in the event of temporary difficulties or particular operating conditions. The aim of “zero lawsuits” over a scope covering 70% of industrial sites means working to avoid any formal notices or criminal proceedings that may result from a failure by the Group to meet its regulatory obligations under operating permits.

Saving energy

As the Group’s activities are highly energy-consuming, in 2005 ERAMET set up an energy saving process with the aim of cutting the Group’s energy expenditure by 5-10%.

As at the end of 2008, 22 sites had their own action plans at varying stages of progress. However, practical measures have been implemented, leading to substantial gains but also reducing environmental impact in some cases. The Erasteel Commentry (France) site, for example, recently switched from fuel oil to gas-fired furnaces. By optimising the consumption of all furnaces, the site’s emissions have been cut despite a twofold increase in production in four years.

Water consumption and aqueous discharges are core concerns for ERAMET’s people.

Action plans on some sites in 2008 significantly reduced water consumption. Process malfunctions that lead to water consumption are systematically taken into consideration. The updating of many operating permits and a determined improvement process led the Group to study new, less polluting processes in order to limit environmental impacts and modernise techniques and equipment for monitoring aqueous discharges.

Although it generates waste like any industrial activity, ERAMET strives to develop more and more processes for recycling “waste” as secondary raw material. The Group’s four steelworks use a large share of secondary raw materials in their furnaces, mainly scrap iron. In general, steelworks use more than 90% recycled metal which itself includes 40% internal recycling (cuttings, scale, swarf, etc.). Various other synergy situations for the recovery of usable waste are organised between the Group's different sites. For example, in the United States, Erachem Comilog’s Baltimore plant uses dust extraction fines from the Eramet Marietta unit. Moreover, actions are taken to utilise all generated waste whenever possible. In the United States, substantial tonnage of manganese ore gangue is used in this way to make bricks or roof tiles.

ERAMET is aware of the biodiversity issues raised by its activities, particularly mining, and attaches great importance to the protection and conservation of species. Large-scale actions have been undertaken in New Caledonia, which has very rich endemic flora and fauna. Over 40 years, SLN has developed more environment-friendly mining techniques including stockpile stabilisation, hydraulic works, mining centre replanting and fauna and flora protection parks. Drawing on that valuable experience, the Group ensures that the protection and conservation of species are integrated components of any new mining project. This is the case for the Weda Bay project in Indonesia.

In parallel to its mining activities, actions to protect animal species are also taken in the Group, such as biodiversity conservation in Lékédi park, Gabon.

Monitoring major projects

Environment and Sustainable Development specialists contribute their expertise to major projects. These include the Weda Bay greenfield project, the pre-feasibility study for the Namibian project and the integration of Tinfos into the Group. In parallel, whenever activity shutdown and asset acquisition or divestment cases arise, they are managed in the same way as major projects and factor in environmental aspects a long way upstream.

At Weda Bay, the mobilised team coordinates initial state characterisation studies (water, air, soil, subsoil, biodiversity, etc.), integration of the World Bank’s guiding principles, Indonesian regulations and actions under the local population development plan.

In Gabon, the Group is examining the possibility of setting up two ore conversion plants in Moanda, with a special focus on environmental aspects.

In China, the Manganese division plans to relocate its Guilin site to a suitable industrial zone outside the urban area. For the project, which is nearing completion, specialised teams are working closely with environmental experts in order to structure an environmentally effective industrial project.

Showing responsibility on chemicals

ERAMET’s people rallied around REACH, enabling the Group to complete the first “pre-registration” phase of the complex process in 2008. These new European regulations oblige European companies to assess all the chemicals produced in or imported into the European Union. Metals and their compounds come under the scope of REACH. Their health and environmental impacts also have to be assessed for each of their uses. ERAMET mobilised by setting up a specific system with Division and Group-level committees. The full, complex survey of substances led to their timely pre-registration by November 30^th, 2008. 204 pre-registrations were made for 103 identified substances and 14 legal entities.

ERAMET also participated actively in workgroups in consortia and trade bodies that have undertaken the REACH process.

Great involvement in various trade bodies

ERAMET is closely involved through important positions on trade bodies such as Eurométaux, FEDEM, the Nickel Institute, Euroalliages, IMnI and FFA.

The Group is also very dynamic in the scientific area, contributing to toxicity studies on nickel compounds, the Manganese Health Research Programme in the USA and the drafting of new assessment methodologies for metals’ environmental impact, etc.

Active, multifaceted participation in local life

In all the areas where it is based, ERAMET is actively committed to local populations in fields as varied as education, health, the environment, socio-cultural activities and sports. The programmes it develops are intended to meet the expectations of neighbouring populations and the social issues facing host countries as well as possible.

A few examples of those programmes:

In Gabon, Gamma, an AIDS campaign, was launched in 2006 in liaison with the country’s health authorities. Designed for Comilog and Setrag employees and their families, it covers aspects such as information (newsletters, radio programmes, documentation, etc.), condom distribution, voluntary screening and care for HIV-positive and sick individuals.

In Indonesia, a Local Development Support department on the site of the Halmahera Island mining and metallurgical project in mid-2008, well upstream of the project implementation phase. Its mission is to carry out programmes for 10 neighbouring villages, including the installation of generators to supply electricity to streets and public buildings, creating a pilot farm, providing dispensaries with medicine, organising doctor’s visits to villages without healthcare and renovating public buildings or roads.

In New Caledonia, the Group’s subsidiary SLN is a partner of ADIE, which offers micro-credits to people without access to bank loans wishing to develop an economic activity in the areas around a mining centre. In addition, “Les Nickels de l’Initiative” supports the best sports, cultural, environmental, scientific or social projects. In 16 years, SLN’s sponsoring programme has supported around 180 such initiatives for €550,000.

In other countries, many sites support local charities such as Red Cross branches (TTi in Norway). The Freeport, USA site supports many associations, including Bach Rehabilitation for Children and the American Heart Association.

Open days are organised on many Group sites around the world. They allow neighbours and local school pupils to find out about industrial activities and find answers on safety and the environment, but also jobs and careers.

The Group’s sites also work closely with representatives of local authorities. In France, more than 40 mayors accepted an invitation from the management of Les Ancizes (France, Aubert & Duval) to review ongoing developments and future projects in November 2008. More generally, ERAMET Alloys builds partnerships with town and regional authorities to carry out major actions in training and recruitment, but also in housing and public transport. Also in 2008, ERAMET Marietta (USA) continued to take part in two local committees with the aim of raising local communities’ and businesses’ awareness of the potential risks related to industrial activities and to draw up contingency plans.