This paper responds to recent calls for rich, holistic and contextually grounded perspectives of sustainability processes at an extractives company. The study provides novel insight into how sustainability control systems are used (or not used) in short-term or long-term decision-making and external reporting. The paper illustrates how a large company is responding to sustainability pressures within the unique contextual setting of New Zealand. The study outlines the imitations of existing practice and provides implications for how sustainability-based internal controls can be better embedded into organisations.