Anglo American

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This article is part of the Coal Issues portal on SourceWatch, a project of Global Energy Monitor and the Center for Media and Democracy. See here for help on adding material to CoalSwarm.

Anglo American is the world's second-biggest mining company, based in South Africa.

It owns a 53% stake in the world's largest gold-mining company, AngloGold Ltd., as well as 32% of De Beers, the largest diamond mining company. It is also the parent company of Anglo Platinum, the largest platinum producer in the world.[1]


"Anglo American plc was formed in May 1999 through the combination of Anglo American Corporation of South Africa (AACSA) and Minorco. It has its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and is majority owned by UK institutions." [2]

A November 2007 presentation to investment analysts by the President of BHP Billiton Coal, Dave Murray, noted that Anglo had an 6% share of the global coal export trade, making it the fourth largest coal exporter in the world.[3] (Anglo's coal mining division is Anglo Coal).

Access Anglo American's corporate rap sheet compiled and written by Good Jobs First here.

Proposed coal plants

CCS Supporter

In November 2008, Roger Wicks, the head of Energy for Anglo American and the Chairman of the International Energy Agency's Coal Industry Advisory Board, supported the Australian government's proposal for the establishment of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. In a media release Wicks stated that "Anglo American believes carbon capture and storage is a vital technology for mitigating emissions from the use of all fossil fuels - coal, gas and oil. These fuels will continue to provide most of the world’s energy for decades to come and there is no doubt that coal based energy in particular will drive the ongoing industrialisation of key developing countries such as China and India. The deployment of carbon capture and storage is therefore essential to the stabilisation of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. We welcome and look forward to supporting the Australian Government’s continued leadership on this issue."[4]

Conflict with South African communities

In November 2007, the European campaign makeITfair published a report about the effects of Anglo Platinum's operations on the adjacent communities in South Africa. The summary of the report states: "makeITfair has learned that 7,000 people in one mining region of South Africa alone have been forced to leave their homes to make way for just one platinum mine operated by Anglo Platinum. Ten thousand more people are in imminent danger of relocation. Families from the first village are now living in appalling conditions without adequate access to water and electricity supply. And communities that have relied on farming for generations no longer have any farm land, so are unable to earn a living." [5]

Management

Accessed October 2013: [6]

Management (2007)

Accessed November 2007: [7]

Critical Books

  • Norman Girvan, Corporate Imperialism: Conflict and Expropriation: Transnational Corporations and Economic Nationalism in the Third World (Monthly Review Press, 1976).
  • Duncan Innes, Anglo American and the Rise of Modern South Africa (Monthly Review Press, 1984).
  • Mark Curtis, The Great Deception: Anglo-American Power and World Order (Pluto Press, 1998).

Contact

Web: http://www.angloamerican.co.uk

Resources and articles

Related Sourcewatch articles

References

  1. [1], Anglo American, accessed July 21, 2009.
  2. History, Anglo American, accessed November 26, 2007.
  3. Dave Murray, "BHP Billiton Coal CSG Anlayst Visit: Hunter Valley Energy Coal", BHP Billiton, November 2nd, 2007.
  4. Tshepiso, "Anglo American established as a Founding Member of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute", Africa Investor.com, November 28, 2008.
  5. E. de Haan and T. Steinweg (SOMO), "Capacitating Electronics: The corrosive effects of platinum and palladium mining on labour rights and communities", makeITfair, November 2007.
  6. Anglo American Board, organizational web page, accessed October 8, 2013.
  7. Management, Anglo American, accessed November 26, 2007.