2022 Sasol Sustainability Report - Book - Page 7
INTRODUCTION
SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE AGAINST OUR FOCUS AREAS
DATA AND ASSURANCE
SOCIAL AND ETHICS REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SSEC
ur people are the cornerstone to realising the
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company’s ambition for a sustainable and thriving
future Sasol aligned to its prioritised SDGs.
Muriel Dube
Chairperson of the Safety, Social and Ethics Committee (SSEC)
Dear stakeholders
Over the past year, Sasol has progressed
in developing a firmer foundation to pursue
its ambition for net zero emissions by 2050,
while navigating a volatile global context.
In relation to our zero-harm ambition, more needs
to be done as we sadly lost five of our colleagues
through work-related fatalities. In response, the
Safety, Social and Ethics Committee (the Committee)
has intensified efforts to drive focused interventions
from management to improve the overall safety
performance and steer the company towards Zero
Harm. We are implementing strategies to track
and monitor leading and lagging safety metrics as
signposts for early interventions in prioritised areas
where trends are pronounced. We are encouraged by
the CEO and executive management’s commitment
to urgently turn the situation around.
Sasol’s updated Group SHE Policy retains safety
as a priority and broadens its scope to incorporate
upholding human rights, responsible environmental
management and addressing Sasol’s impact
on climate change. Impacts on communities,
stakeholders and operational activities are key
areas of oversight. The company continues to align
itself with the International Labour Organisation’s
Protocol for decent work and working conditions.
Sasol’s commitment to sustainability
has remained unwavering driven by its
Purpose to ‘innovate for a better world’
and deliver triple-bottom line outcomes
underscored by People, Planet and
Profit imperatives.
The company has a legacy of sustainability reporting
spanning more than three decades. During this time,
ESG reporting has become mainstream with
stakeholders requiring greater transparency from
companies on their disclosure of value creation
and preservation. Sustainability and related ESG
disclosures are a crucial reflection of a company’s
true performance and relationship with stakeholders.
The mandate of the Safety, Social and Ethics
Committee is to oversee the implementation
and performance of the company’s sustainability
practices. Sasol’s vast business straddles multiple
geographies, industries and communities where
complex and dynamic interdependencies exist.
By placing sustainability at the centre of the
company’s strategy, direction is given, and
performance is monitored. Sasol strives to remain
a force for good and a responsible corporate citizen.
We approved Sasol’s revised Code of Conduct in
support of ethical behaviour and as an essential
building block for a values-driven organisation
and a high-performance culture. This has been
demonstrated through active interventions to
embed ethical business practices and active
consequence management where required.
Sasol has strengthened its governance and policy
environment to uphold human rights by deepening
their implementation of sound risk and integrated
practices across the business.
Through its robust enterprise risk management
framework and approach, Sasol is able to better
assess its impact on human rights across the value
chain, including suppliers. I am encouraged by Sasol’s
rapid progress over the past year in implementing its
human rights due diligence process. Closer alignment
to the UN Global Compact Ten Principles is evident
and has been noted by the Committee.
The International Sustainability Standards Board
(ISSB)recently published the exposure draft
for disclosing sustainability-related financial
information. Following this, the JSE published its
Sustainability and Climate Disclosure Guidance,
which is a welcome development in providing
clarity on disclosure of ESG matters for JSE listed
companies. We have included key aspects of
these guidance documents in this year’s disclosure
in anticipation of mandatory reporting.
These endeavours are testament to the Sasol’s
commitment for greater transparency and
enhancing disclosure on ESG matters.
We continue to monitor Sasol’s activities in terms
of the South African Broad-Based Black Economic
Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act, No 53 of 2003.
One such activity in relation to enterprise supplier
SASOL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2022
6
development is the recent launch of a Women in
Engineering Incubator Programme. We are looking
forward to delivering the first cohort of credible,
future-fit, female-owned and -led businesses in
a technical environment.
Sasol is committed to promoting equal
opportunities and fair employment practices
globally across all its businesses.
As I reflect on the past year, I am particularly
pleased by the progress the company has made
with its decarbonisation efforts and its commitment
to a just and equitable transition as demonstrated
by the operationalisation of the Just Transition Office.
We believe this is an important milestone in delivering
on Sasol’s diversity and inclusion ambitions as it
relates to the Future Sasol strategy and growing
shared value in achieving net zero by 2050.
I am confident that we have fulfilled our mandate
as required by the Companies Act 71 of 2008 and
that there were no instances of material noncompliance with applicable ESG laws and regulations.
I wish to thank Team Sasol, including board
colleagues, for their unwavering commitment to
the work of the SSEC and in fulfillment of responsive
stakeholder engagement.
Muriel Dube
Chairperson of the SSEC
26 August 2022