Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. Reports on Sustainability Progress

CLEVELAND, Aug. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) (Paris: CLF) announced today the release of its 2012 sustainability report, entitled "Embracing our Past, Securing our Future." The sustainability report is a comprehensive look at Cliffs' global operations and outlines the Company's progress in key areas of its sustainability strategy.

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"This year has been marked by continual change and volatility in the commodities market, which has presented our Company with a number of opportunities and challenges. However, our expectations of personal accountability and business ethics are unwavering," said David Cartella, vice-president – global environmental affairs, sustainability and counsel. "Going forward, we will continue to build upon a strong foundation of sustainability with the development of a three-year, enterprise-wide strategy.  Aligned with business priorities and integrated with operational and functional groups, this strategy aims to maximize our shared value by reinforcing our social license to operate."

Highlighted sustainability accomplishments for 2012 include:

  • Cliffs was ranked top performer in the iron and steel subsector group – and 34th overall – on the Maplecroft Climate Innovation Index, a Bloomberg listing of top-performing U.S.-based companies in terms of climate-related innovation and carbon management programs.
  • Developed and guided the implementation of spill reduction initiatives, which achieved a total spill volume reduction of more than 75% from 2011 levels.
  • More than 18 percent of Cliffs' total electricity purchases in 2012 came from renewable energy generation.
  • Partnered with the city of Ishpeming in Michigan to finance the Partridge Creek Diversion Project, which aims to reduce or eliminate mercury levels in nearby Deer Lake.
  • Initiated the Bloom Lake Cliffs Forum, near the Company's Eastern Canada iron ore operation, a civic quarterly meeting to proactively address the community's interests and concerns. 
  • Implemented a new salaried employee talent management system that tracks individual goals, accomplishments and career aspirations to assist in internal recruitment and development of succession plans.

Cliffs is introducing an all-new, online-only format, accessible in the "Sustainability" section of the Company's corporate website, .  In addition to reading or downloading the report in its enterity, users can customize a PDF with content most relevant to them through a "Build My Report" functionality.

Cliffs developed the report to conform with the widely-used Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) comprehensive sustainability report framework. The GRI framework encourages greater transparency from organizations through standardized principles and indicators for tracking and reporting on economic, environmental and social performance.  This year's report achieved an application level B in accordance with the GRI guidelines.

About Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is an international mining and natural resources company. A member of the S&P 500 Index, the Company is a major global iron ore producer and a significant producer of high- and low-volatile metallurgical coal. Cliffs' strategy is to continually achieve greater scale and diversification in the mining industry through a focus on serving the world's largest and fastest growing steel markets. Driven by the core values of social, environmental and capital stewardship, Cliffs associates across the globe endeavor to provide all stakeholders operating and financial transparency.

The Company is organized through a global commercial group responsible for sales and delivery of Cliffs' products and a global operations group responsible for the production of the minerals the Company markets. Cliffs operates iron ore and coal mines in North America and an iron ore mining complex in Western Australia. In addition, Cliffs has a major chromite project, in the feasibility stage of development, located in Ontario, Canada.

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SOURCE Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

Released August 27, 2013