Working in Harmony with the Environment: Q&A with Petra Diamonds’ Marietjie Reynecke
From African forests to the Arctic tundra, diamonds are found in some of the most remote locations on earth. This article is part of a series around Earth Day that uncovers the important ways that diamond producers are working to protect the wildlife and wilderness where they work.
As part of our celebration of Earth Day 2018, we spoke with Marietjie Reynecke, Group Environmental Lead at Petra Diamonds, to learn a little more about their unique and committed approach to promoting sustainable practices throughout their operations.
Q: More than ever, consumers expect companies to prioritize environmental responsibility. How does Petra ensure that its mines operate as sustainably as possible?
A: In many ways, we think about managing our environmental impact on a local level. Our mines are based in South Africa and Tanzania, with some sites located in rural communities where they are the largest economic driver in the area. These communities don’t just depend on our investment — they rely on us to be responsible stewards of the places we collectively call home.
Over the years, we’ve cultivated a strong record for environmental responsibility. We have significantly improved our waste management processes, and we have numerous initiatives in place to encourage environmental awareness amongst our employees and the wider communities. For Earth Day this year, for example, we are focusing on raising awareness around the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Highlighting no. 7 ‘Affordable and Clean Energy’ and no. 13 ‘Climate Action’ — we believe that knowledge is power and that we can make a difference at a corporate level and at an individual level. In order to weave sustainable thinking into all of our decision-making, we’ve established key initiatives that prioritize long-term environmental protection. These include our new group ecological management standard — which promotes biodiversity and aids carbon sequestration — and the Land Function Analysis, which assesses on-site environmental rehabilitation, among others.
At a basic level, we focus on optimizing our operations, which has included installing LED bulbs, solar heating systems and real-time energy monitoring. We have also made larger, long-term investments, such as the 67,000 hectares of South African land we’ve established as ecological reserves.
Q: Your CEO, Johan Dippenaar, has outlined the importance of your Sustainability Strategy — can you talk a little bit about how that serves as a guiding principle for your business?
A: Like any business, Petra faces a constantly evolving commercial landscape. Whilst many issues, such as workplace safety, have always been a primary concern, there are heightened expectations among our consumers, employees and stakeholders on issues ranging from carbon emissions to poverty alleviation.
We believe that sustainable thinking is integral to providing answers to those challenges, and our Sustainability Strategy outlines five core objectives that underpin our actions. In particular, these objectives prioritize the goal of creating a zero-harm environment, working in harmony with the natural environment, and maintaining sustainable relationships with the communities in which we operate.
Through our executive-level Health, Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) Committee (which is chaired by our CEO), we’ve established a framework that has helped us to reduce our carbon footprint, empower local communities and build out sustainable infrastructure in the places where we work.
Q: In what ways can the diamond industry lead the way on sustainability? Where are some of the biggest opportunities to make an impact?
A: We think that our impact can and should be multi-faceted. Looking at the industry as a whole — and particularly as a DPA member — we see an opportunity to concentrate global resources at a local scale. Diamonds aren’t easy to find, and the companies that go to unearth them often end up building close relationships with the local communities in very rural areas, much in need of investment and support.
We believe that companies like Petra in the private sector can play a vital role in driving positive socio-economic development in our countries of operation, across areas such as public health, education and stimulating local industry. We therefore look at what are the most important needs in our communities and how we can work in collaboration with partners to address these.
Our vested interest in the places where we operate gives all diamond mining companies an opportunity to protect and preserve the regions that these communities call their own. It goes without saying that we know how beautiful this planet — and the gifts, such as diamonds, it gives us — can be. It’s our job to safeguard it for future generations.
About Marietjie Reynecke
Marietjie graduated from the university of Pretoria in 1998 with a postgraduate degree in Environment Management and Analysis. She joined De Beers at the then Premier Mine in 2000 as Assistant Environmental Officer. In 2008 Marietjie moved over to Petra Diamonds as Environmental Coordinator of Cullinan Diamond Mine. In 2011 Marietjie is appointed as Group Environmental Lead, the position she still currently holds. In this position she is responsible for all environmental related projects and services, including legal compliance, environmental systems and sustainability plans.
