Identifying Our Stakeholders
Key stakeholders are generally identified as people who are adversely or positively impacted by our operations, those who have an interest in what we do, or those who have an influence on what we do.
Our HSEC Management Standard 7 requires that 'Effective, transparent and open communication and consultation is maintained with stakeholders associated with Company activities. Stakeholders are encouraged to participate in and contribute to sustainable development through HSEC performance improvement initiatives.'
Consequently we require the identification and consideration of stakeholders, their expectations and their concerns for all operational activities, across the lifecycle of operations. Importantly, we also require sites to specifically consider any minority groups (such as indigenous groups), and any social and cultural differences that may be critical to stakeholder engagement.
A regular review process is also a central requirement of stakeholder identification, to ensure that all appropriate groups and individuals are effectively identified and suitably engaged.
For an overview of BHP Billiton's main stakeholders, see Our Stakeholders.
