With increasing impacts from the climate crisis, such as unprecedented heat waves, forest fires and flooding, there is growing awareness that the transition to a low-carbon economy is a matter of the utmost urgency. Yet few people realize that more mining will be needed to reach this goal. While recycling is and will continue to be integral to responsible supply chains, the growing critical minerals demand means that new mines are needed. Because mining companies are the first links in the supply chain for low-carbon end products, they must take bold action with a view to achieving environmentally responsible and sustainable operations. However, companies can do mining and mineral processing responsibly or not responsibly. We must all ensure that the responsible path is chosen.

Québec is uniquely positioned to grow its standing as a global responsible mining leader, thanks to its rich endowment of critical minerals, advanced mineral processing ecosystem, commitment to Indigenous peoples, robust regulatory framework, and high sustainability expectations. These competitive advantages are articulated in the provincial government’s Plan for the Development of Critical and Strategic Minerals.

But what does responsible mining really mean? At Torngat Metals, we are using the acronym IESG which stands for Indigenous Environmental Social and Governance. Placing the letter I first is a deliberate choice to recognize that Indigenous partnering, engagement and considerations need to be integral components for each of the other three letters.

Indigenous Peoples are more than stakeholders, particularly when mining projects are undertaken in their territories. As a baseline requirement, mining companies must comply with the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Free, Prior and Informed Consent. However, if that is the sole focus, the larger opportunity is being missed. We have the chance to go beyond consultation/engagement by creating space at the table for Indigenous groups to contribute their expertise as stewards of their lands and add value as successful business owners. For their part, mining companies need Indigenous involvement to achieve their project goals.

Improving a project’s ESG profile takes effort and innovative thinking. This means instead of reducing emissions and risks, eliminating them when technically feasible. For example, rather than reducing the wastewater produced at our rare earth separation plant proposed for Sept-Iles, we have redesigned the process to recycle 100% of the wastewater eliminating discharge altogether. Instead of managing dust within our operations, we are working to prevent dust from being created.

Companies, like Torngat Metals, cannot do all this on their own. Partnering with technology leaders and taking part in R&D initiatives with universities and colleges are two key strategies for success. Equally important is early engagement with local communities, including Indigenous populations, with opportunities to communicate directly with project decision makers. Engagement means not only listening to people’s concerns, but also making changes based on their feedback. An even better approach is to work on solutions together. For example, we changed the route of our proposed mine access road in Labrador, based on Indigenous concerns and their guidance on alternatives.

Mining project developers make countless decisions every day. IESG must be embedded into an organization by designing decision making processes to include consideration of IESG, including financial analysis that includes total life cycle costs and benefits, as well as monetizing risks. For example, our engineering team works hand in hand with our environmental team on the process flow sheet, which is leading to solutions like zero wastewater discharge. This has a higher capital cost, but a lower life cycle cost and a lower risk profile in the short- and long-term. And more importantly addresses community expectations for water conservation and protection.

We believe the benefits of responsible mining and mineral processing are as follows:

• Climate change mitigation technologies with reduced environmental impact
• Greater innovation
• Indigenous and local communities more likely to welcome projects and increased interest in partnerships
• Improved employee attraction and retention
• Securing the top suppliers and customers
• Lower risks
• Higher long-term financial rewards and security

This is no easy task. If it doesn’t feel hard and push people and processes outside of comfort zones, then opportunities will be missed. Embracing responsibility does not mean seeking perfection, but creating an environment focussed on learning, innovation and constant improvement. This is a philosophy we embrace.

Image courtesy of Torngat Metals