Please explain why the selected SDG is a priority for your company

WHY MINING AND METALS?

The Mining sector is regarded as a critical global industry for the advancement of the UN SDG’s. In 2016 an industry agenda and mapping atlas was released to support implementation of the SDG’s for the mining sector. As noted in the Atlas, the International Council on Mining and Metals concludes that mining accounts for 60-90% of foreign direct investment in lower middle-income countries. Consequently, the impacts of mining on the achievement of the sustainable development goals is significant and critical from a policy perspective.  The project’s intention is to align with the directions identified in the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP) published by Natural Resources Canada.

INNOVATION – “We’re bringing adjacent technology and risk management approaches from other sectors into mining. There is a big and invisible corrosion risk in mining that we know causes fatal failures, production losses, and environmental releases. It’s an area where we can really make an impact.” – Zoe Coull, Founder, ICE Dragon Corrosion (Artemis Member)

SUSTAINABILITY – “So much more is expected of the Canadian mining industry. And rightly so. Sustainable development can no longer be transactional. It is still often treated as a ‘nice to have’ by way of philanthropy. Terms like CSR or SLO reflect and imply that social sustainability should remain on the periphery of operations, or one-offs without continued effort and management.” – Sabrina Dias, Founder, SOOP Strategies (Artemis Member)

DIVERSITY – “Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) isn’t an organic change, and there isn’t a magic pill. The creation of an Inclusive Culture requires an all hands approach, with a clear story line that all employees can understand and that leaders are excited to own, and defined metrics placed to measure progress and allow for adjustments and corrections along the way.” – Jamile Cruz, Founder, I&D 101

Please describe the initiatives/programs that your company is taking to address the TARGETS of your primary SDGs.

• Clarity of the initiative/program

Artemis Project is a social enterprise founded on a collective of female entrepreneurs focused on disruptive change in global economic, environmental, and social development in mining. We drive agile and innovative business outcomes between female entrepreneurs and mining companies seeking to transition from ESG compliance to using ESG tied to the UNSDG’s as an imperative for genuine change, improved business performance resulting in an improved world.

Artemis MEMBERSHIP

Artemis Project paves a new way for female entrepreneurs to work with large mining companies. Our members come together, develop new solutions, establish peer to peer networks, share knowledge, strengthen business leadership capacities, and increase visibility with senior level decision makers and government stakeholders. Before the Artemis Project was established, female entrepreneurs were often isolated, had difficulty gaining visibility and breaking into well-established supply chains within the Mining and Minerals sector. With the Artemis Project, female entrepreneurs in mining now have a collective that is purposed to drive successful and sustainable business outcomes.

ARTEMIS PROJECT MEMBERS SDG PRIORITY

The visual on the website (https://artemisproject.ca/special-projects/) outlines Artemis Project’s core business services to support sustainability for the mining sector. This includes enhancement to direct operations to generate profits, employment, economic growth in low-income countries, and incorporate new sustainable technologies. Artemis has a strong focus on supporting mitigation opportunities for responsible extraction to produce with less waste, safer processes, promote the improved wellbeing of local communities, reduce inequalities and improve environmental stewardship

• Innovativeness of the initiative/program 

Artemis Project is a platform where breakthrough innovation for mining and metals organizations can be realized through an open stream of innovation channelling a new and diverse perspective and skill set lead by female entrepreneurs. Diverse skills and different thinking accelerates innovation and problem solving. The success rate of entrepreneurship ventures versus intrapreneurship is greater. According to Harvard research on in-house innovation models within global companies across sectors breakthrough innovation projects fail between 70-90% of the time.

ARTEMIS PROJECT MEMBERS CORE SERVICES

This visual represents Artemis Project’s core business services to support sustainability for the mining sector across three critical dimensions: social inclusion, environmental sustainability and economic development 

• Scale of the initiative/program

Artemis Project leads specialized efforts to further the UN SDG’s in mining and metals through collaboration and co-creation projects with a multi-stakeholder approach.

Please highlight the key impacts and results of the mentioned initiatives

• Clarity of the results 

“Heather exemplifies a trailblazing spirit by bringing all 35+ Artemis member companies’ together and providing useful growth opportunities, networking as well as motivational and inspirational presentations, an important aspect in particular for solo entrepreneurs who are just starting and have no colleagues to consult with. Heather is a very positive-minded person who strongly encourages others and sets them up for success. Thanks to Heather, many of the 35 women-led companies, including Thorn Associates, have experienced increased growth and new opportunities directly as a result of Artemis.” – Emily Thorn Corthay, Thorn Associates (Energy & Carbon Management Consulting – Artemis Member)

“The knowledge of business and the mining industry within Artemis has proven to be a huge support for myself and other female consultants and business owners. We are able to use our connections and passion for empowerment to build a collaborative of women in an effort to strengthen our abilities and levels of success in mining.” – Kari Lentowicz, Managing Director, Diamonds in the Rough Emergency Rescue Organization (Artemis Member)

“Heather Gamble goes above and beyond to guide the Artemis Project membership. She does so with not only great expertise but also drawing on her seemingly unending energy and encouragement. Her ability to draw out the best from each member is phenomenal. She creates an environment that is informative, collaborative and supportive as she passes on her experience so openly to those around her.” – Catherine Jodar, Language Advantage (Artemis Member)

• Clarity of the impact

“Yamana, a senior gold mining producer with five operating mines in the Americas, will collaborate with companies in the Artemis Project network, gaining access to high value female entrepreneurs and cutting-edge ideas that advance innovation and sustainability at Yamana and increase the diversity of its supply chain. …” See their recent press release.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/artemis-project-partners-with-yamana-gold-to-support-women-entrepreneurs-and-advance-innovation-and-diversity-in-mining-894128423.html

Please describe how your company is building awareness for the selected SDG

• Internally

Key members of the Artemis Project have been leading individual efforts with many of our members, as part of our UN SDG plan to produce extensive data outlining each members contribution to the advancement of the UNSDG’s through coaching through available UNSDG tools to assist with scoring. The Artemis Project is pursuing funding to assist with another level UN SDG growth – the UN SDG action lab for mining. Some members have engaged in a deep analysis to establish their ESG contributions and these will be map the UN SDGs.  This process is being pursued as most mining companies will require the Artemis Members to take their existing ESG contributions and map them to the UN SDGs. Additionally, Artemis provides UN SDG training resources and UN SDG conference debriefs to our members, via the bi-monthly call. 

• Externally

In addition to holding Artemis Member delegation meetings with Mining Leaders bringing Female Entrepreneurs with the common thread of UNSDG as their business purpose, the Artemis Co-Founders are having discussions on how to integrate our SDG efforts to further knowledge share between Canada and Australia from the Artemis experience working on a similar project between Canada and Chili.

Here is another example of how Artemis is already impacting other female entrepreneurs: 

Another North American female entrepreneurial community has requested a proposal to help them map, score and report across their 70 + entrepreneurs and aggregate the info to be better able to present their UN SDG contributions as a whole organization. They advised Artemis that they are the only organization that they have found that can help them in this regard – so this is clear evidence Artemis is already spreading the support for female entrepreneurs, outside of mining. 

For an organization which is just over 1 year old, it’s progress is incredible as they have deepened their expertise, built membership and leadership for women entrepreneurs and how they can build stronger competitive propositions, aligning with the UNSDGs to influence uptake of the UNSDG’s in the Canadian Minerals Sector.

Please outline the plans your organization has for being committed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in response to COVID-19

• Short term plans

Artemis pivoted as most organizations did, but the project was a mainly a virtual endeavor from the beginning so it was merely a bump in the road so to speak. The co-founders and the members are a resilient bunch!

The Artemis Project has increased its visibility, via conversations and proven positive business outcomes between female entrepreneurs and mining organizations. Our members continue to come together, develop new solutions, establish peer to peer networks, share knowledge, strengthen business leadership capacities, increase visibility with senior level decision makers and government stakeholders. With Artemis Project, female entrepreneurs in mining now have a collective that is purposed to drive successful and sustainable business outcomes. The momentum is building from a successful series of “open houses” which is attracting more members from around the globe – South America, Australia and North America and these will continue into the future.

Global Goals Baby!!