Towards Sustainable Mining Biodiversity Conservation Management

Every mine in Canada has a closure plan that is regularly reviewed by government authorities. The plan includes a commitment to restore lands to a natural state upon completion of activities. Companies need to provide a guarantee of the financial resources necessary to close and reclaim a mine site before they even begin construction. The “mitigation hierarchy” is a crucial concept to support companies in limiting their negative impacts on biodiversity. The mitigation hierarchy includes four steps: 1. Avoid creating any negative impact on biodiversity from the outset of a project 2. Minimize negative impacts on biodiversity at every opportunity 3. Rehabilitate or restore negatively impacted ecosystems 4. If an ecosystem cannot be restored, offset impacts by restoring other degraded habitats Did You Know? Did You Know? Towards Sustainable Mining Biodiversity Conservation Management What is Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM)? A globally recognized sustainability program that helps mining companies manage their environmental and social responsibilities and evaluate and publicly report their performance A mandatory requirement for companies in a growing number of mining associations around the world, offering tools to drive continuous performance improvements Biodiversity Conservation Management The TSM Biodiversity Conservation Management Protocol lays out a clear set of criteria for companies to: • Commit to manage biodiversity at their mine sites, using the mitigation hierarchy, and ensure that employee responsibilities for biodiversity management are clearly defined. • Identify significant biodiversity aspects and implement associated action plans as part of an effective biodiversity management system. • Publicly report on biodiversity activities and performance. Raising the Bar: Leading Practice in Biodiversity Conservation Management What does good practice look like? • Demonstrated senior management commitment to biodiversity conservation and the mitigation hierarchy, with defined responsibilities for accountable employees • A plan or system for managing significant biodiversity aspects , with clear biodiversity objectives and plans to achieve these objectives • Engagement with communities and stakeholders on biodiversity conservation management programs and activities • Public reporting of biodiversity performance and integration of this reporting in company decision-making processes • Training for employees to build awareness of biodiversity conservation.