HOF Citations 2016 Environmental Management & Steward - John Groom

2016
IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Dr John Groom

John Groom has been heavily
involved in international mining
activities since the beginning of his
professional career. Throughout,
he has worked to strengthen
mining’s approach to addressing
safety, health, environmental and
sustainability-related issues across
the full mine and materials lifecycles.
In 1991 he was a founding member of the
International Council on Mining and the
Environment (ICME) the first international
body created by the mining industry to address
environmental concerns. During the period
1999–2002 he played a key leadership role in
the Global Mining Initiative (GMI) which had
as its centrepiece activity the initiative, Mining,
Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD).
Throughout the GMI, John served as the Anglo
American “sherpa” at the right hand of the
Anglo American CEO. He was also the sherpa
responsible for the entire speaker program for
the 2002 Toronto conference Resourcing the
Future. As a result of GMI, ICME was transformed in 2001 to become the International
Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) with its leadership focus on practical, progressive, and rigorous
application of sustainability ideas in the mining industry.

Anglo’s ‘Sustainability’ award - David Nussbaum, Chief Executive
of Transparency International (left), presents Safety and
Sustainable Senior Vice President John Groom with the trophy
commending Anglo American for the way in which it articulated
the challenge of sustainable development for the business

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
AND STEWARDSHIP

Also during this period, John played active roles
in the World Business Council on Sustainable
Development, the Johannesburg 2002 World
Summit on Sustainable Development, the
World Bank’s Extractive Industries Review
(2002-2004), the International Finance
Corporation’s
review of its
safeguard policies
and development
of their leading
edge performance
standards, and
development of the
Financial Services
Sector’s Equator
Principles.
Through
his ongoing
engagement
with ICMM, John
has played a
leading role in
ICMM’s Resource
Endowment
Anglo American SHE Committee
(RE) – Mining
visit to Paardekraal shaft
Partnerships for
Rustenburg section - November 2001
Dr John Groom and Julian
Development
Ogilvie Thompson
initiative, which
is focussed on innovative and collaborative
approaches to strengthening mining contribution
in developing countries. In particular, he chaired
the Resource Endowment working group for five
years from its inception.
For a six month period he was seconded by
Anglo American to ICMM to serve as Chief
Operating Officer in which role he effectively
bridged a leadership change within ICMM.
Over the past 20 years he has also played
major contributing roles with Eurometaux,
Euromines, the REACH process (a European
Union regulation concerning the Registration,
Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of
Chemicals), and the Coal Industry Advisory
Board. In the latter he chaired the Associates
working group for 19 months.