Our company is committed to including sustainability in everything, as stated in our Sustainability Framework. To ensure a healthy environment, we will seek to prevent and minimize our impact on the environment. At every step of our operations, now and in the future, from the exploration stage to the end of the operation, and pursue environmental improvements and benefits through the application of industry-leading practices and technology wherever possible.
Aim
The purpose of this policy is Eldorado Gold’s environmental commitments; To express the company’s expectations of our employees and subcontractors, and our commitment to engage with stakeholders affected by our operations to support our Sustainability Framework.
Scope
Our Environmental Policy and management approach has been shaped by the following international framework conventions:
• International Cyanide Management Code
• World Gold Council Principles for Responsible Gold Mining and
• United Nations Global Compact.
Our Sustainability Integrated Management System (“SIMS”) sets company-wide sustainability requirements in line with these international framework agreements to ensure consistent practices and compliance across all operations. All employees and subcontractors are expected to comply with this Environmental Policy and the relevant requirements in SIMS.
Environmental Management
Eldorado Gold is committed to:
1. To reduce environmental impacts by considering industry-leading best practices, and technologies, consistent with climate change objectives and targets, during the exploration, planning, design, construction, operation, and closure of mines.
2. Comply with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, and internal company requirements, including SIMS.
3. Communicate with our stakeholders to understand, and take into account the interests, concerns, priorities and (if any) traditional knowledge of our stakeholders regarding our environmental, and management practices, and performance.
4. To identify and evaluate the environmental risks and impacts of our projects and operations within the scope of our activities and to integrate these issues into our planning and operational decision-making processes.
5. To ensure continuous improvement by establishing environmental goals and targets and monitoring progress.
6. To provide environmental training, equipment, and systems so that our employees have the necessary knowledge and resources to identify, reduce and manage potential environmental impacts and meet our environmental commitments.
7. Evaluate the effectiveness of environmental management systems and performance, and support continuous improvement through an annual review of their performance, including management of mineral beneficiation waste.
Environmental Protection
Eldorado Gold is committed to the following through our management system and practices in all our projects and operations:
1. Positioning, designing, constructing, operating, deactivating, and closing mine beneficiation waste storage facilities in a way that will support structural stability, protect public health and safety, and management of solid and liquid waste in designated areas. We work to manage waste with engineering practices under local and international regulations. In our waste management systems, we prefer to use the best available technologies that minimize the risk to humans and the environment and in any case, do not create streams or shallow under-sea wastes.
2. Develop and implement a climate change strategy that identifies, assesses and manages climate-related risks and business opportunities, sets greenhouse gas emission, and energy reduction targets, explores low-carbon technology solutions and renewable resources, and increases the resilience of our operations and nearby communities to climate change impacts.
3. Safely and responsibly manage cyanide and other hazardous substances to protect human health, and the environment during transport, storage, use, and disposal.
4. Using water, energy, and other resources efficiently, minimizing waste, and managing it responsibly. Understand, and manage our water use at the watershed scale, including water quantity, quality, and the needs of other users.
5. Responsible mining, and land use planning and management, which takes care of sensitive area habitats and prevents, minimizes, rehabilitates, and offsets impacts on biodiversity, which are the requirements of a mitigation hierarchy, to contribute positively to the conservation of biodiversity.
6. Eldorado Gold will not explore or mine World Heritage Sites and will comply with other legally determined requirements for protected areas.
7. Develop, implement and regularly review closure plans that take socio-economic and environmental considerations into account, promote progressive rehabilitation, and support the provision of adequate financial resources to meet closure and post-closure commitments.