Role of CSR at BHP Billiton

With its global headquarters in Melbourne, BHP is a world-leading resources company. The firm has a strong workforce of 60,000 employees and is involved in the extraction and processing of minerals, oil and gas. Along with a successful business track record, BHP also understands the role of CSR (corporate social responsibility) in business ethics.

It is the approach of the firm towards corporate social responsibility that speaks volumes about its larger vision to operate in harmony with the planet and the people.

BHP’s broader approach to sustainability is in harmony with the principles and requirements of a diverse range of regulatory and voluntary international standards such as the UN Sustainable Goals.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched in the year 2015. They consist of 17 ambitious goals dedicated to improving the well-being of present and posterity. These goals have been defined to tackle the modern world’s most pressing challenges through the promotion of sustainable development. As a global company, many of these sustainable development challenges are clearly evident to BHP.

BHP contributes towards the realization of the SDGs in three ways:

1. Through direct business activities
2. Through the use by host governments of the taxes and royalties the firm pays, the direct and indirect employment of their workforce and supply chain.
3. Through their voluntary social investment.

Let’s look at the CSR activities of BHP:

• Environmental Sustainability: Against the climate change concerns arising globally, the firm acknowledges the fact that its operations can have significant environmental impacts. Consequently, BHP is sincerely committed to the environmental cause through understanding and minimizing impacts, and by contributing more broadly so as to deliver long-term environmental solutions and benefits.

• The objective is to focus on reducing the GHG emissions and energy use at their operations.
• The firm effectively contributes to enhanced biodiversity and improving natural resource management.
• Water is managed responsibly as a shared resource.
• The company’s approach is focused on three key areas; mitigation, adaptation and low-emissions technology. This approach is brought into execution by engagement with policymakers and investors, companies and non-governmental organizations.
• BHP also supports the REDD+ project under the UNFCCC that provides economic, social and environmental incentives for the developing economies to reduce GHG emissions from deforestation and associated activities through the Carbon Credits (CC).

• To me, that’s big: This is a unique initiative by BHP. What’s big means different things to different people. For BHP, it means acting as a strong support system for people and communities all across Australia. BHP provides jobs, back businesses and invest in social programs that can make an ever-lasting impact.

• BHP Billiton Foundation: The BHP Billiton Foundation is a charity which aims to make a distinctive contribution to the unprecedented sustainable development challenges before the present generation.

These CSR initiatives are a reflection of BHP Billiton’s sincere commitment towards the people and the planet along with their economic growth and prosperity. The idea is to allow all the stakeholders to be part of BHP’s success story.