Difference between revisions of "BHP Billiton"

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'''BHP Billiton''' (BHPB) is an international mining firm which describes itself as "the world's largest diversified resources company."  It mainly deals in minerals and petrochemicals, but also is one of the world's leading exporters of "thermal coal," i.e. coal used for power generation.<ref>[http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/energyCoal.jsp "Energy Coal,"] BHP Billiton website, accessed 3/08</ref> In 2006, BHPB's profits exceeded US$10 billion.
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{{Template:Mining and Metals badge}}{{Template:NuclearSpin}}
  
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BHPB is a dual listed company, made up of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc - the dual company status resulting from a 2001 merger. The global headquarters are in Melbourne, Australia.
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BHP Billiton is the world's largest diversified metals company, producing oil, coal, iron ore, copper, aluminium, uranium and diamonds. In 2010 it attained a profit of $13bn. Its corporate structure is complex, controlling 462 subsidiaries, 20% of which are incorporated in 'High Opacity' nations or states, where legal obstacles impede the ability to investigate payments and production figures.<ref name="PWYP">Nick Mathiason, '[http://www.publishwhatyoupay.org/sites/publishwhatyoupay.org/files/FINAL%20pp%20norway.pdf]', Publish What You Pay Norway, 19 September 2011, accessed 30 September 2011</ref>  
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<ref>[http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/aboutUs/companyOverview/ourStructure.jsp Our Structure], BHP Billiton, accessed December 2007.</ref>
 
  
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BHPB has been accused of environmental vandalism, displacing indigenous people, and unfair union controls. <ref>BHP Billiton [http://www.business-humanrights.org/Categories/Individualcompanies/B/BHPBilliton Business & Human Rights Resource Centre website], accessed December 2007.</ref>
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==Hiding a fifth of its taxes secret==
  
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==Climate Change==
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Piping Profits, published Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Norway in 2011, revealed that BHP Billiton holds 20% of its 462 subsidiaries in 'High Opacity' nations or states such as the US state of Delaware, the Netherlands or Bermuda. PWYP defines Secrecy Jurisdictions as: "places where among many other advantages for companies requiring secrecy, company accounts and beneficial ownership details are not publicly available."<ref name="PWYP" />
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In June 2007, in response to concerns about [[global warming]], BHPB announced that it would commit US$300 million "over the next five years to support the development of low emissions technology and to encourage emissions abatement," reported Reuters. BHPB "also set fresh targets to reduce the energy and greenhouse intensity of its projects by 2012. ...  BHP was on track to beat a target of a five percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per unit of production by end-June 2007, and had set a target of a further 6 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 2012." <ref>[http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42677/story.htm BHP Billiton to take more action on climate change], ''Planet Ark'', June 19, 2007.</ref> (See also [[BHP Billiton's coal interests]]).
 
  
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==Citizen Protests Against BHP Billiton's Coal Expansion==
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Though BHP Billiton does subscribe to the [[Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative]] (EITI), PWYP argues:<ref name="PWYP"/>
  
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=== July 21, 2008: Australian citizens blockade farm to stop coal exploration ===
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<div style="padding: 0 20px;">
 +
This information [of EITI] is useful for holding governments to account but is insufficient to gain
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a true and accurate picture of the operations of the profit generating elements within an
 +
EIC.<br/>
  
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On July 21, 2008, nearly 200 concerned residents and landowners in northern New South Wales blockaded a farmer's driveway to prevent a BHP-Billiton drilling rig onto the property to explore for coal deposits. Local residents are asking for an independent study into the effects the exploration and coal mining will have on local underground water reserves.<ref>[http://www.ccag.org.au/ People Power vs. Government Greed], Caroona Coal Action Group website, accessed 7/22/2008</ref> A court had previously issued an injunction against the landowner when he drove a grader across his driveway to prevent the exploratory team from entering his property.<ref>[http://tamworth.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/bring-it-on-caroona-says-no-to-the-big-australian/1173620.aspx Bring it on: Caroona says 'no' to the big Australian], Northern Daily Leader, 7/22/2008</ref>
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This is because no one outside senior executives within EICs – and perhaps the politicians
 +
and officials where resources are extracted – can be certain:<br/>
  
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=== August 11, 2008: Activists glue themselves to coal giant's headquarters  ===
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1) how much oil, gas or minerals a particular subsidiary owns;<br/>
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2) how much oil, gas or minerals it has produced in any given year;<br/>
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3) how much revenue and profits it makes;<br/>
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4) how much tax and royalties it pays; or<br/>
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5) what investment and other incentives it enjoys.<br/>
  
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On August 11, 2008, nine activists glued themselves to the revolving door and windows at BHP Billiton's headquarters in central London. The protesters also scattered coal across the floor of the lobby. BHP is one of the world's largest coal companies. According to one activist the protest was to highlight that the "expansion of the coal industry is unacceptable in the face of impending climate chaos." The protest ended peacefully after 90 minutes and there were no arrests.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7554619.stm Coal protest team glued to doors] BBC News, August 11, 2008</ref>
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Until now it has never been established how many subsidiaries the world’s biggest EICs
 +
own and where they are based. It has also never been fully appreciated how many EIC
 +
subsidiaries are located in jurisdictions where it is hard, if not impossible, to gauge a
 +
financial understanding of these conduits – so-called Secrecy Jurisdictions.
  
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==Subsidiaries==
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It is important to understand the entire operational picture of an EIC in order to
 +
determine whether it is acting in line with socially accepted corporate accountability
 +
norms or standards that the EIC has pledged to meet.</div>
  
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BHP Billiton is the 100% owner of uranium miner [[Western Mining Corporation]], which owns the Olympic Dam (or Roxby Downs) uranium mine in South Australia. <ref>Olympic Dam, [http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/baseMetals/olympicDam.jsp BHP Billiton website], accessed December 2007.</ref>
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==Board of Directors Feb 2012==
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*[[Jacques Nasser]]
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*[[Marius Kloppers]]
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*[[Malcolm Broomhead]]
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*Sir [[John Buchanan]]
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*[[Carlos Cordeiro]]
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*[[David Crawford]]
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*[[Carolyn Hewson]]
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*[[Lindsay Maxsted]]
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*[[Wayne Murdy]]
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*[[Keith Rumble]]
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*Dr [[John Schubert]]
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*Baroness [[Shriti Vadera]] <ref>BHP Billiton website. About Us [http://www.bhpbilliton.com/home/aboutus/leadership/Pages/default.aspx Board of Directors] Accessed 21/02/2012</ref>
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===Revolving door===
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*[[John Grant]], president of BHP Billiton in September 2007<ref> [http://acoba.independent.gov.uk/media/acoba/assets/acobaninthreport2006_08.pdf The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments Ninth Report 2006-2008] ''Advisory Committee on Business Appointments'', accessed 4 November 2014 </ref>
  
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==Uranium Miner==
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==Lobbying and PR firms==
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*[[The Communication Group plc]]<ref> [http://www.prca.org.uk/assets/files/Consultancy%20Register%20Sept-Nov%202014.pdf Agency Register September to November 2014] ''PRCA'', accessed 25 March 2015 </ref>
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==Resources==
  
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BHP Billiton is one of the world’s top five producers of uranium, but also the world’s second largest exporter of coal. <ref>Our Business, [http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/home.jsp BHP Billiton website] accessed December 2007.</ref>
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See SourceWatch [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=BHP_Billiton BHP Billiton]
  
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Its Olympic Dam mine has, so far, produced 60 million tonnes of radioactive tailings, and the waste is growing at 10 million tonnes per year, but there are no plans for the long-term management of these toxic tailings. The mine’s daily extraction of over 30 million litres of water from the Great Artesian Basin has adversely impacted on the fragile ecology, and the mine is a large consumer of electricity and a major contributor to South Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. <ref> Dr Jim Green, [http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/australia/resources/reports/climate-change/nuclear-power-no-solution-to.pdf Nuclear Power: No Solution to Climate Change] Friends of the Earth (Australia), the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, the Public Health Association of Australia and the Climate Action Network of Australia, September 2005, See page 7.</ref>
 
  
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The Olympic Dam mine enjoys a range of exemptions from the South Australian Environmental Protection Act, the Water Resources Act, the Aboriginal Heritage Act and the Freedom of Information Act. A 2003 Senate inquiry into the regulation of uranium mining in Australia reported “a pattern of under-performance and noncompliance”. It identified many gaps in knowledge and found an absence of reliable data on which to measure the extent of contamination or its impact on the environment, and it concluded that changes were necessary “in order to protect the environment and its inhabitants from serious or irreversible damage”. The committee concluded “that short-term considerations have been given greater weight than the potential for permanent damage to the environment”. <ref> Dr Jim Green, [http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/australia/resources/reports/climate-change/nuclear-power-no-solution-to.pdf Nuclear Power: No Solution to Climate Change] Friends of the Earth (Australia), the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, the Public Health Association of Australia and the Climate Action Network of Australia, September 2005, See page 7.</ref>
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==Contact==
  
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==Directors==
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:Address: BHP Billiton Limited
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Accessed March 2008: <ref>[http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/aboutUs/companyOverview/ourBoard.jsp Directors], BHP Billiton, accessed March 7, 2008.</ref>
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::BHP Billiton Centre
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::180 Lonsdale Street
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::Melbourne Victoria 3000
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::Australia
  
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*[[Don Argus]], Chairman
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::Phone: (61) 1300 55 47 57
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*[[Marius Kloppers]], Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director
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::Fax: (61 3) 9609 3015
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*[[Paul Anderson]]
 
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*[[John Buchanan (Australia)]]
 
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*[[Carlos Cordeiro]]
 
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*[[David Crawford]]
 
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*[[Gail de Planque]]
 
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*[[David Jenkins]]
 
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*[[Jacques Nasser]]
 
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*[[John Schubert]]
 
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*[[David Morgan]]
 
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*[[Jane McAloon]]
 
  
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===PR Advisers===
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:UK Corporate Address:
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*[[Geoff Walsh]]
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::BHP Billiton Plc
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::Neathouse Place
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::London SW1V 1BH
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::United Kingdom
  
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===Former personnel===
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::Phone: (44 20) 7802 4000
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*[[Chip Goodyear]], Chief Executive Officer
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::Fax: (44 20) 7802 4111
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*[[Tom Harley]], President Corporate Development
 
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*[[Ian Wood]],  Vice-President of Sustainable Development and Community Relations
 
  
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==Contact details==
 
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'''Australia''':<br>
 
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BHP Billiton Limited<br>
 
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BHP Billiton Centre<br>
 
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180 Lonsdale Street<br>
 
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Melbourne Victoria 3000<br>
 
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Phone: (61) 1300 55 47 57<br>
 
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Fax: (61 3) 9609 3015<br>
 
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Web: http://www.bhpbilliton.com
 
  
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'''United Kingdom''':<br>
 
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BHP Billiton Plc<br>
 
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Neathouse Place<br>
 
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Victoria<br>
 
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London SW1V 1BH<br>
 
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Phone: (44 20) 7802 4000<br>
 
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Fax: (44 20) 7802 4111
 
  
 
==Resources==
 
==Resources==
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===Related SourceWatch articles===
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[http://www.glencore.com/documents/Glencore-Fact_Sheet.pdf Company Fact Sheet]
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*[[Colombia and coal]]
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*[[Carbones del Cerrejón]] - a Colombian coal mining company that BHP Billiton is a one-third owner of.
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==Notes==
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*[[Corporate Social Responsibility]]
 
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*[[Western Mining Corporation]]
 
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*[[Reconciliation Australia]]
 
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*[[Alex Vanselow]], Chief Financial Officer *<ref>[http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/aboutUs/companyOverview/groupManagementCommittee.jsp Group Management Committee], BHP Billiton, accessed December 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/aboutUs/companyOverview/ourBoard.jsp Our Board], BHP Billiton, accessed December 2007.</ref>
 
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*[[Corporate market share of global coal export trade]]
 
  
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===References===
 
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
  
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===External articles===
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[[Category: Nuclear Spin]] [[Category:Mining and Metals]] [[Category:Mining Industry]] [[Category:Mining]] [[Category:Transnational Corporations]]
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*Peter Crush, "[http://www.prweek.com/news/news_story.cfm?ID=240851&site=1 CSR: Let actions speak louder than words]", ''PR Week'', September 16, 2005. (Sub req'd).
 
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*Burton, Bob. [http://www.atimes.com/oceania/AH13Ah01.html BHP admits Ok Tedi mine is environmental disaster], Asian Times Online, 17 September 2006.
 
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*Friends of the Earth Brisbane, [http://http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2006/11/132783.php BHP AGM: Olympic Dam will continue to operate outside law], 29 November 2006.
 
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* "[http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42677/story.htm BHP Billiton to Take More Action on Climate Change]," Reuters, June 19, 2007.
 
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===External resources===
 
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*Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, [http://www.business-humanrights.org/Categories/IndividualCompanies/B/BHPBilliton BHP Billiton resources], accessed February 2004.
 
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[[Category:Australia]][[Category:Corporations]][[Category:Mining]]
 
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[[Category:Nuclear Issues]][[Category:Nuclear Issues/Australia]][[Category:Nuclear PR]]
 

Latest revision as of 14:48, 25 March 2015

Mining-alcans-60px.jpg This article is part of the Mining and Metals project of Spinwatch
Nuclear spin.png This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

BHP Billiton is the world's largest diversified metals company, producing oil, coal, iron ore, copper, aluminium, uranium and diamonds. In 2010 it attained a profit of $13bn. Its corporate structure is complex, controlling 462 subsidiaries, 20% of which are incorporated in 'High Opacity' nations or states, where legal obstacles impede the ability to investigate payments and production figures.[1]

Hiding a fifth of its taxes secret

Piping Profits, published Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Norway in 2011, revealed that BHP Billiton holds 20% of its 462 subsidiaries in 'High Opacity' nations or states such as the US state of Delaware, the Netherlands or Bermuda. PWYP defines Secrecy Jurisdictions as: "places where among many other advantages for companies requiring secrecy, company accounts and beneficial ownership details are not publicly available."[1]

Though BHP Billiton does subscribe to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), PWYP argues:[1]

This information [of EITI] is useful for holding governments to account but is insufficient to gain a true and accurate picture of the operations of the profit generating elements within an EIC.

This is because no one outside senior executives within EICs – and perhaps the politicians and officials where resources are extracted – can be certain:

1) how much oil, gas or minerals a particular subsidiary owns;
2) how much oil, gas or minerals it has produced in any given year;
3) how much revenue and profits it makes;
4) how much tax and royalties it pays; or
5) what investment and other incentives it enjoys.

Until now it has never been established how many subsidiaries the world’s biggest EICs own and where they are based. It has also never been fully appreciated how many EIC subsidiaries are located in jurisdictions where it is hard, if not impossible, to gauge a financial understanding of these conduits – so-called Secrecy Jurisdictions.

It is important to understand the entire operational picture of an EIC in order to determine whether it is acting in line with socially accepted corporate accountability

norms or standards that the EIC has pledged to meet.

Board of Directors Feb 2012

Revolving door

Lobbying and PR firms

Resources

See SourceWatch BHP Billiton


Contact

Address: BHP Billiton Limited
BHP Billiton Centre
180 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000
Australia
Phone: (61) 1300 55 47 57
Fax: (61 3) 9609 3015
UK Corporate Address:
BHP Billiton Plc
Neathouse Place
London SW1V 1BH
United Kingdom
Phone: (44 20) 7802 4000
Fax: (44 20) 7802 4111


Resources

Company Fact Sheet

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nick Mathiason, '[1]', Publish What You Pay Norway, 19 September 2011, accessed 30 September 2011
  2. ↑ BHP Billiton website. About Us Board of Directors Accessed 21/02/2012
  3. ↑ The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments Ninth Report 2006-2008 Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, accessed 4 November 2014
  4. ↑ Agency Register September to November 2014 PRCA, accessed 25 March 2015
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