Biodiversity
Habitat and rehabilitation
Across the world we own large amounts of land around our sites. Some of it will be needed for future expansion, whereas the rest is no longer required for industrial use. We keep land requirements constantly under review, and carry out biodiversity studies on land that we don't intend to develop.
The most detailed study so far was undertaken in 2006. We looked at our different policies and approaches at local level; the contribution environmental management systems can make to biodiversity; and carried out some joint reviews with local conservation organisations.
As a result we now have a comprehensive biodiversity database for both Western Europe and Brazil, which will now be expanded worldwide.
We want to establish a clearly defined Group policy on biodiversity, and will be undertaking a follow-up study in 2007/08 to help us do this. We'll be drawing on the expertise of a number of important partner organisations, including the Tour du Valat wetland research centre at Fos-sur-Mer in France.
Reforestation
We have a number of reforestation projects alongside our operations in countries such as Brazil, Romania, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The Brazilian programme involves growing eucalyptus trees for the production of biomass, which is an efficient carbon way of producing pig iron.
Case study: Regenerating the local environment in Olaberrķa, Spain