The Company has formed a Safety Production Committee (hereinafter “the SPC”). Led by our President, it prioritises the Company’s environmental work as a strategic task, and continuously enhances the internal environmental management system by making reference to international practices. By improving on the setting up and the implementation of management policies, we establish a full life-cycle environmental management system for our mines from pre-construction due diligence to project closure.
We have formulated the Policy Statement on Protection of the Ecological Environment, so that all stakeholders can have a clearer understanding of our standpoint, commitment and working direction on environmental and ecological protection. It can also help us to build a strong stakeholder relationship. We are also committed to applying the highest standards of environmental management, making an efficient use of natural resources and energy, recycling and reducing waste, striving to protect the biological diversity, and responding to the change of global climate actively to reduce its impact on the future.
● Prior to project acquisition, conduct due diligence in accordance with laws and regulations to assess the ecological damage, environmental pollution, environmental penalties, environmental litigation, operation of environmental protection facilities, and related eco-environmental risks that have resulted from the past operational activities of the acquisition target.
● Prior to project construction, carry out environmental impact assessment in accordance with the laws and regulations of the country (region) where the project is located to investigate and assess the adverse impacts and risks on the surrounding environment throughout the life cycle of the project. Formulate reasonable risk response measures to, as much as possible, reduce and eliminate any possible adverse impacts.
● Carry out subsequent planning and design, construction, production and operation, mine closure, and post-closure restoration according to the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report. Ensure there is environmental protection throughout the life cycle of the mine.
● During the operational phase of the project, carry out ecological conservation and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as air emissions, water pollutants, noise, vibration, radiation, pollution, and waste control, by taking precautionary and control measures, combined with integrated governance. Reduce ecological damage and land disturbance through improving environmental protection design, and carry out ecological restoration according to the local conditions.
● Equip the project with online monitoring equipment according to the specific pollutants of different operations, entrusting an independent authoritative third party with the operation and maintenance of monitoring equipment. The statistics of emissions and pollutants would be sent to the local regulatory authorities and published on the authorities’ official website.
● Set environmental and ecological targets each year and assign work to responsible units. Use assessments and other incentive measures to make sure they fulfil their responsibilities and improve their environmental performance. Such assessments are conducted on the senior management and general employees of the subsidiaries, as well as the contractors and construction vendors.
● Conduct regular environmental audits on all subsidiaries and require the subsidiaries to conduct annual internal audits to ensure that their operational projects comply with the host country’s environmental laws and regulations and Zijin Mining's EMS requirements.
● Regularly engage external third parties to inspect the mines and smelters, in order to identify potential environmental risks and respond to them in a timely manner.
● In 2021, 92.5% of the subsidiaries conducted environmental impact audit, and 94.3% of the subsidiaries have completed at least one audit in two years.
● For each subsidiary, formulate an emergency response plan that is in line with the Company’s existing Environmental Emergency Response Plan by taking into account the local climatic conditions and operations .
● Regularly revise the emergency response plan according to production changes, and conduct at least one emergency drill per year to ensure the emergency response plan is practical.