• Zijin earned the top spot on Refinitiv’s ESG rating among 671 metals and mining companies.

• The company has set ambitious targets to peak its emissions by 2029 and achieve net zero by 2050.

• Committed to benefiting all stakeholders, it has made RMB 324.7 billion in economic contributions.

March 22, 2024, Xiamen, China – On the evening of March 22, 2024, Zijin Mining released its 2023 ESG report, alongside its annual report.

2023 was a pivotal year in the second phase of the company’s three-step strategy. Amid rapid changes in the world, increasing geopolitical risks, and global economic uncertainties, Zijin focused on providing materials that improve living standards in a low-carbon future, enhancing its ESG framework, performance, and ratings, while maintaining strong growth. Many of its ESG practices have become the global mining industry’s best practices, highlighting the company’s image as a responsible miner.

Strong ESG Performance

Refinitiv, a world-renowned rating agency, placed Zijin Mining No.1 among 671 global metal and mining companies when it updated its ESG rating in January 2024. The past year saw Zijin’s comprehensive improvement in ESG ratings, including those from S&P, CSA, and Morningstar.

Emphasizing ESG as an essential component of its global strategy, Zijin aims to peak its carbon emissions by 2029 and largely achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Over the past year, the company has rigorously enhanced its carbon management across the entire lifecycle of its mining operations, integrating de-carbonization metrics into the performance assessment schemes of its affiliates and introducing the “Carbon Peaking and Neutrality Work Guidelines”. As a result, it achieved a 1.46% year-on-year decrease in annual carbon intensity to 1.53 tonnes of emissions per RMB 10,000 of added value, while continuing to drive performance growth.

Committed to green mining and adherence to the highest global standards, Zijin has built many eco-friendly mines with lush landscapes. All of its operations are equipped with water monitoring systems downstream from the mine sites. Furthermore, in 2023, the company invested more than RMB 1.37 billion in environmental initiatives, growing 3.86 million plants and rehabilitating 6.22 million square meters of land. These programs helped expand its portfolio of national green mines in China to 12 and national green plants to 7, while the company’s approach to eco-friendly mining earned widespread acclaim among its host countries and regions.

Development for All

Zijin is committed to sharing the fruits of its growth with shareholders, investors, host countries, host communities, employees, collaborators, and other stakeholders.

In 2023, the company made a direct economic contribution of RMB 324.7 billion worldwide, of which its social contribution was RMB 56.2 billion. The company also invested RMB 827 million in community programs across the world.

In addition, it launched another employee stock ownership scheme and a stock option incentive plan for senior executives, enhancing the benefit-sharing mechanism for core talent.

Furthermore, Zijin plans to make a distribution of RMB 5.265 billion for 2023, increasing its 3-year cumulative profit distribution to RMB 17.1 billion. Meanwhile, the Board of Directors will propose to the General Shareholders Meeting the establishment of an interim profit distribution plan for 2024, enabling investors to continually share in the company’s growth.

Translator: Jian     Reviser: Lin xinjing   Editor-in-Chief: Wang Jie