Achieving this purpose requires us to work, as often as not, in remote locations and sensitive, beautiful environments, often on land owned by Indigenous peoples. Our values, experience and history tell us that we must work in a way that delivers real, lasting benefits. We must care for our employees, respect and safeguard the environment when we explore, build and operate, and re-purpose or rehabilitate the land when our operations come to an end.
We must also contribute to local and national economies by paying competitive wages, treating our suppliers fairly, investing in our local communities and paying our share of taxes. And we must do so in a way that preserves the profitability of our own business, not only so we can meet our commitments to our shareholders, but so that we can continue to invest in areas important to our other stakeholders, including safety, climate change mitigation and workforce training. These beliefs are the foundation of our views on sustainability.
In 2018, we launched our first integrated sustainability strategy. This strategy commits us to adopt high standards, often going beyond legal requirements, on the sustainability issues that are material to our business, our employees, the communities that host us and the customers that buy and use our products. Our goal is to achieve consistent, high-quality social and environmental performance across all of our operations and to increase our stakeholders’ knowledge of how we work through meaningful disclosures and transparency.
We have also made an effort to better understand, engage and partner with our key stakeholders to create sustained, mutual value. We support the 2030 development agenda and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our portfolio is also an important part of our sustainability strategy. In 2018, we became the only major player in our industry to have a portfolio free of fossil fuel production. Today, our portfolio comprises commodities with solid long-term fundamentals, including those critical for the transition to a low-carbon economy.