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MINING INDUSTRY SINCE 1935

Environmental Stewardship: Aggregate Performance

Tailings Management

In 2021, facilities reported for the first time on the 2019 version of the Tailings Management Protocol and its associated guidance documents. Despite these enhanced requirements, facilities were able to report slight improvements in Indicators 1, 3, and 4. Minor declines in performance on Indicator 2 and 5 can be attributed to facilities working towards implementation of the new requirements in these indicator areas. Note that performance on all indicators had previously declined in 2019, which was the first year of reporting on enhancements made in a 2017 version the protocol.

Percentage of Facilities at a Level A or Higher – 2006, 2021 and 2022
Level A Level AA Level AAA
Last Updated: Jan 09, 2023 (86% Facilities Reporting)
Tailings management policy and commitment
46%

2006

81%

2021

94%

2022

Tailings management system
40%

2006

72%

2021

80%

2022

Assigned accountability and responsibility
60%

2006

77%

2021

93%

2022

Annual tailings management review
54%

2006

79%

2021

91%

2022

Operation, maintenance and surveillance (OMS) manual
49%

2006

76%

2021

84%

2022

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Biodiversity Conservation Management

In 2021, facilities continued to demonstrate good performance on the Biodiversity Conservation Management Protocol, achieving improvements in performance across all three indicators. Facilities began reporting on a slightly revised version of this protocol in 2021, which includes new requirements related to the mitigation hierarchy and no net loss.

Percentage of Facilities at a Level A or Higher – 2013, 2021 and 2022
Level A Level AA Level AAA
Last Updated: May 09, 2023 (98% Facilities Reporting)
Commitment, accountability and communications
58%

2013

87%

2021

93%

2022

Conservation planning and implementation
50%

2013

79%

2021

79%

2022

Reporting
53%

2013

78%

2021

77%

2022

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Water Stewardship

In 2021, facilities reported publicly for the first time on the new TSM Water Stewardship Protocol  and demonstrated good results. 

Percentage of Facilities at a Level A or Higher – 2021 and 2022
Level A Level AA Level AAA
Last Updated: Feb 10, 2023 (94% Facilities Reporting)
Water governance
79%

2021

94%

2022

Operational water management
77%

2021

90%

2022

Watershed-scale planning
82%

2021

88%

2022

Water reporting and performance
77%

2021

84%

2022

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management

In 2021, facilities’ performance varied across the three indicators of the Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management Protocol. A decline in performance on Indicator 1 is due at least in part to facilities in early stages of TSM implementation. Performance on Indicator 2 remained strong and there was improvement in Indicator 3 as more facilities met Level A and Level AA requirements. In 2022, facilities will begin producing their first internal reports on the new Climate Change Protocol, which will replace the Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management Protocol. First facility-level public reporting on the new protocol is scheduled for 2023. The new protocol takes a more hollistic approach to climate change, incorporating mitigation and adaptation measures at both corporate and facility levels.

Percentage of Facilities at a Level A or Higher – 2013, 2021 and 2022
Level A Level AA Level AAA
Last Updated: Feb 10, 2023 (90% Facilities Reporting)
Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions management
58%

2013

72%

2021

81%

2022

Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions reporting systems
84%

2013

83%

2021

92%

2022

Energy and greenhouse gas emissions performance targets
34%

2013

64%

2021

62%

2022

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

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