Implats follows a risk based approach in identifying issues of materiality. During the year under review the risk department together with the Sustainable Development group champions undertook an intensive review of areas of risk in relation to each discipline. The following most material issues have been identified.

• Improving our safety performance is a priority for Implats – See the Safety and health section.
• Aggressively addressing HIV & AIDS and pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). See the Safety and health section and the HIV & AIDS section.
• Understanding the challenges and opportunities relating to climate change, and ensuring that these are adequately addressed – See the Environmental performance section.
• Embedding and implementing our new approach to sustainable development and socio-economic development within the company, and ensuring that sustainable development matters are overseen at a group level. See the section on How Implats manages sustainable development.
• Ensuring delivery on the local economic development projects identified in our Social and Labour Plans (SLPs) and, where projects are not viable, identify replacement projects. See the Socio-economic development section.
• Delivery on the housing and accommodation projects, and the associated BEE procurement initiatives – See the Socio-economic development section.
• Achieving Mining Charter targets particularly in respect of affirmative procurement, HDSAs in management and women in mining. See the Human capital section.
• Dealing with the lack of critical skills through effective recruitment and retention strategies – See the Economic performance section, and the Human capital section.
• Identifying and engaging with our community stakeholders has begun in a programmatic way. See the section on Engaging with stakeholders.
• Ensuring the effective implementation of data collation through the newly-implemented sustainable development toolkit.