Sandvik boosts sustainability commitments in 2022

Sandvik has recently scaled its efforts to be business leaders in the fields of sustainability, diversity and inclusion with a range of initiatives underway across Australia and New Zealand.

With ‘Fair Play’ as one of Sandvik’s core values, the company has moved to form a council to oversee Sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Australia and New Zealand. The new body will help inspire and drive initiatives in areas including climate change (net zero 2050), circularity, championing people, and fair play, with a view to helping Sandvik achieve its 2030 Sustainability Goals and concrete the organisation’s status in Australia as both an employer and original equipment manufacturer of choice.

Several sustainability initiatives are already well underway at Sandvik including:

• A commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals where the company can influence (good health and wellbeing, gender equality, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry-innovation and infrastructure, responsible consumption and production and climate action)
• The introduction of battery-electric trucks, loaders and drills to make the shift towards more productive and emission-free mining in Australia & New Zealand
• New Sandvik warehouse rated sustainable world leader with 6 Star Greeen Star rating
• The electrification of Sandvik’s logistics operations
• Eclipse fluorine free fire suppression systems market offering
• Carbide recycling program, where customers can recyle their worn-out
• A hand and finger safety awareness program for all employees
• Supporting various local community programs
• Investigating opportunities to apply circularity principles within the organisation
• Investigating opportunities to incorporate further renewable energy sources into the organisation
• Making a LGBTIQ+ inclusion and diversity learning module available to all employees
• Delivering on the Sandvik Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, including the introduction of a new First Nations traineeship program
• Partnering with Autism Queensland to enhance neurodiversity across the organisation
• Committing to sustainable procurement practices that minimize our negative social and enviornmetnal impacts and improve the sustainability performance of our suppliers

“At Sandvik, our goal is to do more than just talk the talk around sustainability,” says Wayne Scrivens, VP for Sales Area Australia & NZ at Sandvik Mining & Rock Solutions. “We want to put real initiatives in place that help to reduce our impacts on the planet and make our business a better place to work for our people.”

Inspiring Change

The new Sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion council has been made up of representatives from across the local organisation, including General Manager for Sustainability, Marketing and Communications, Kate Bills.

“The idea of the council is to help keep sustainability and DEI front of mind across all the different parts of the business,” Bills says. “By pointing out the challenges, providing suggestions for how they can be solved, and celebrating successes, we hope to drive change that will benefit our staff, customers and wider society.”

Sandvik’s Global 2030 Sustainability goals cover four key focus areas: achieving more than 90 percent circularity; halving CO2 emissions; approaching zero harm to people; and always doing the right thing.

Sandvik has also committed to set targets in the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), consistent with the Paris Agreement. By joining the SBTi, Sandvik will seek to have its sustainability targets validated against science-based criteria.

“We believe being successful in business naturally goes hand in hand with being a leader in sustainability and diversity,” says Kate Bills. “We look forward to our insights into these areas with customers and the community and making a real difference in the years to come.”

Sandvik acknowledges the successes of their sustainability program so far including an award for Indigenous Engagement at the Australian Mining Prospect Awards, 6 Star Green Star Accreditation of their new Perth distribution centre and an increase in Women In leadership positions from from 16.9% Q2 2021 to 25.4% YTD.

The organisation also recognises the challenges that lay ahead as it navigates inflation pressures, continued supply chain disruptions, fuel prices and other uncertainties caused by the war in Ukraine. Despite these external pressures, the Sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion council are eager and optimistic that they can continue to find opportunities to create positive change and make a difference both locally and globally.