The World Coal Association has presented Gregory H. Boyce, Chairman and CEO of Peabody Energy, with the 2014 Chairman’s Special Award in recognition of his global leadership on mining safety. In particular, he was recognised for the CORESafety program in the USA. The award was presented during the WCA’s Annual General Meeting last month in Canberra, with Fredrick D. Palmer, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, receiving the award on behalf of Boyce. Also, the WCA has appointed Harry Kenyon-Slaney, Rio Tinto Energy’s Chief Executive, as its new Chairman. He will replace exiting chairman Zhang Xiwu, the current chairman of Shenhua Group, following the WCA general meeting in Canberra late last month.
Milton Catelin, WCA Chief Executive, congratulated Boyce on the award, commenting: “The WCA is pleased to recognise the global leadership role Greg has played in improving mine safety standards. Greg played a critical role in establishing the CORESafety program in the USA, a program that has united the industry in the USA to a shared level of commitment on safety. The 2014 WCA Chairman’s Special Award recognises the importance of global leadership on mining safety and commends Greg for his significant work in this area”.
Boyce thanked the WCA for the award, stating: ““All mining workers have a right to arrive home safe at the end of the day, and we must do everything we can to provide safe workplaces in the global mining sector.”
As Chairman of the US National Mining Association (NMA), Boyce – alongside other industry leaders – has been instrumental in the establishment of CORESafety, a state-of-the-art safety and health management system designed for the US mining industry. CORESafety was developed through an industry-wide collaboration among NMA member company safety and health professionals to achieve an industry goal within five years of eliminating fatalities and reducing the rate of reportable mining injuries by 50%. Boyce’s leadership has helped engage mining companies directly employing more than 125,000 Americans in adopting CORESafety in their operations.
Following his appointment, Kenyon-Slaney said he is “honoured to have been appointed and look forward to engaging in the debate about how the world’s growing energy needs will be met, whilst also addressing the very real issue of climate change – it is a complex dilemma with no easy solutions”.
Speaking on the current state of the market and global energy demand, he added that “the role of coal, as a cheap and plentiful source of fuel, will be critical in meeting the world’s future energy demands”.
“We as an industry have an interest in ensuring that coal can be extracted and consumed in a way that minimises any environmental impact. I believe we need to see ongoing investment in finding technical solutions to this issue, recognising the significant role fossil fuels will continue to play in the global energy mix.”
He outlined his vision for the WCA under his leadership,stating “I see a key role for the WCA in encouraging innovative solutions, and raising the efficiency of power stations and advancing carbon capture and storage are two fronts on which we will see real progress”.
Milton Catelin, the WCA chief executive, added “it is an exciting time for coal, with the International Energy Agency forecasts predicting global coal demand is likely to increase by 50% by 2035”.
However Catelin went on to ackonwledge “there are global challenges we face – energy access, energy security, affordability of energy, and reducing emissions, all require us to work together. The coal industry needs to be united, constructive, and engaged in major policy discussions”.