Sustainable development

Social responsibility

CMOC reviewed in 2019 and updated in February 2020 its Community Policy applicable to the entire group. We are committed to conducting activities in a manner that promotes positive and open relationships with local communities. We continue our engagement with and investment in communities affected by our mining operations, using multi-channel grievance systems to collect their feedback and concerns. We develop infrastructure, support health, safety and education efforts, and provide local employment and business development opportunities. Our goal is to build such partnerships at all levels of community, from local to national, by making long-term positive contributions and effectively mitigating adverse impacts from our operations. Stakeholder relations across the international portfolio are guided by a risk-based approach to evaluating community expectations and needs, which informs community development plans. At our NPM, Brazilian and DRC operations, stakeholder communications, community risk and impact management and community investment plans guide our external engagement efforts. At our Chinese site, the national priorities of the government also play a role in driving community relations and associated investments. In all cases, stakeholder engagement is based on mutual trust, communications based on transparent dialogue, and the effective mitigation of impact coupled with the enhancement of positive effects from mine operations. CMOC understands that these aspects are material to the success of our mining business.

Our community relations programs are guided by local laws and regulations and seek alignment with international best practice frameworks such as the International Finance Corporation and the ICMM sustainable development principles. Social engagement and community investment activities may also be governed by commitments made through the process of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment or their equivalents under national regulations.

Our operation in China closely aligns community spending with government development priorities and makes pertinent community investments to enhance performance in achieving those priorities. The Chinese operation is located in Luanchuan, a small mountain county in Henan province rich in minerals but with scarce agricultural resources along with frequent public emergencies due to floods and landslides. As an important company in Luanchuan County, we have long contributed to local development. In 2019 CMOC multi-year investment programs contributed to the host county close on a total of RMB130 million in donations for social development, poverty alleviation, education, health and other domains. After years of effort, in 2019 Luanchuan County was officially taken off China’s list of poorest areas. CMOC’s contributions have been widely recognized by society, and we were awarded the “2019 Henan Provincial Award for Poverty Alleviation and Dedication” by the Henan Provincial Government.

In the DRC our operation is near rural villages, agriculture and two towns which have steadily undergone significant population influx and urbanization in recent years. In recognition of TFM’s responsibility to maximize local opportunities, 93% of employees at the TFM mine are DRC nationals. The sustainability programs at this site continued to address acute community development priorities. Therefore, we have strengthened communication and cooperation with local governments at all levels. In addition, TFM has strengthened control over social projects to maximize benefits for local people. TFM’s community programs prioritize investments in five areas: education, infrastructure, community health, agriculture and capacity building.

Our mines in Australia and Brazil are sited in areas that are largely rural, with surrounding land uses dominated by agriculture. NPM and Brazil continue to strengthen the effectiveness of community plans through transparent identification of impact, communication through stakeholder forums and the maintenance of systems to register and respond to major community concerns. NPM's community programs have four key focus areas: economic development, education and training, health and safety, environment and cultural heritage. In our Brazilian operations, based on social diagnosis of community expectations and international good practices, we have prioritized investment in education and training, income generation, agriculture and livestock, infrastructure and environment. This approach allows us to maintain good neighborly relations, because communities feel benefits from our operations in ways that are important to them.