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Teck – SDG Awards 2017

In this SDG Awards 2017 entry:

Voting Category: Large Organization

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 3 Action

Teck is supporting improved health and well-being at the global level through our Zinc & Health and Copper & Health programs. We are working in partnership with international organizations to end preventable deaths of children under the age of five by ensuring that life-saving zinc treatments reach the children who need it most.

We are also focused on ensuring the health and safety of all of our people. We ensure all employees and contractors have the knowledge and ability to safely perform their duties. We identify and manage occupational health and hygiene exposures for the protection of longer-term health.

Together, our approach to worker health and safety and investing in global healthcare supports SDG 3.

Global Health Programs

Zinc deficiency affects two billion people worldwide and contributes to the death of nearly 450,000 children under five each year. As one of the world’s largest producers of zinc, Teck is working to help solve the global health issue of zinc deficiency through our comprehensive Zinc & Health Program, which focuses on getting zinc to those who need it most, and raising awareness around this important health issue. Through our partnerships with UNICEF, Nutrition International, International Zinc Association and more, we have reached more than 120 million people worldwide to date.

As a major copper producer, Teck is working to contribute to the fight against the spread of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). According to Infection Prevention and Control Canada, 200,000 patients contract an HAI every year while receiving healthcare in Canada, which costs our healthcare system approximately $1 billion. Teck’s Copper & Health program aims to support the use of antimicrobial copper surfaces, which can kill 99.9% of bacteria that cause HAIs within two hours of contact. So far, we have partnered with Vancouver General Hospital on a pilot project and advanced a Canadian study to assess increasing the use of copper in reducing HAIs in hospitals across the country.

Workplace Health and Safety

We believe that all incidents that could cause serious harm to our employees or contractors are preventable, and providing a safe workplace by effectively managing risk is our duty. We identify and manage occupational health and hygiene exposures for the protection of longer-term health. We expect all employees and contractors to be leaders in health and safety through identification of hazards and the elimination and control of high-potential risk.
We have a three-pillar approach — embedding a culture of safety, learning from High-Potential Incidents, and operating with excellence — that drives continual improvement and supports our vision of everyone going home safe and healthy every day. Our strategy is to continue to strengthen and achieve a balance between the cultural and technical aspects of our health and safety program and to ensure that these two streams are complementary with one another.

By applying strong operating standards informed by the International Labour Organization, the International Council on Mining and Metals, and global best practice, we aim to optimize our production and avoid potential injuries to ensure the health and well-being of our workforce.

SDG 3 Impact

We made good progress towards SDG 3 in 2016 in both workplace health and safety and our global programs.

Global Programs

Teck’s Zinc and Health program is focused around five key pillars to improve child health: therapeutic zinc, zinc supplementation, food fortification, crop nutrition, awareness and advocacy.

Teck is founding member of Zinc Alliance for Child Health (ZACH), a partnership with UNICEF, the Government of Canada and Nutrition International. As of July 2017, more than 44 million episodes of childhood diarrhea have been treated with zinc and oral rehydration salts and 60,000 healthcare workers have been trained to administer zinc treatments.

Our Zinc & Health program also led to the creation of Zinc Saves Kids, an initiative of the International Zinc Association, in 2009 to improve the survival and development of children with micronutrient deficiencies and a lack of essential vitamins and minerals, such as zinc. As of July 2017, 600,000 children in Nepal and Peru have received micronutrient powder containing zinc and 85,000 mothers and caregivers have been trained about the benefits of zinc.

Zinc deficiency also affects more than half of the world’s agricultural soils, resulting in decreased crop production and nutritional quality. Teck supports a crop nutrition project with China’s Ministry of Agriculture and the International Zinc Association, which has advanced zinc usage in fertilizer by 40,000 tonnes and now nearly 4.8 million children have access to zinc-enriched crops as of July 2017.

As part of our Copper & Health program, Teck advanced a Canadian study to assess the use of copper in reducing HAIs in hospitals across the country in 2016 and 2017.

Workplace Health and Safety

In 2016, we continued to build on our safety performance in areas of greatest risk and there were no fatalities. Furthermore, in 2016, we improved our Total Recordable Injury Frequency (TRIF) by approximately 13%, our Lost-Time Injury Frequency decreased by 11%, and over the past four years, we have decreased our High-Potential Incident (HPI) Frequency by 58%.

In 2016, we worked to enhance our occupational health and hygiene risk assessments, monitoring, and exposure controls to protect the long-term health of employees.

In 2016, we also developed and commenced implementation of the fourth phase of our Courageous Safety Leadership (CSL) program. Based on input and feedback from a survey of employees across the company, we created a new one-day training program that builds on CSL 1, 2 and 3, a series of training programs that have been delivered since 2009 to more than 16,000 employees and contractors.

Our company-wide Health and Wellness strategy, which focuses on improving physical and mental well-being, continued to be implemented in 2016.

SDG 3 Future Plans

In the coming years, we will remain focused on advancing SDG 3 in the workplace and around the world through our partnerships and programs.

Global Programs

Since 2011, Teck has committed over $16 million towards programs to get zinc to those who need it most and save children’s lives.

Teck is now working with the Government of Canada and Nutrition International to develop a partnership extension to build on the successes and learnings of ZACH and focus on sustaining zinc and oral rehydration salts coverage and improving care-seeking for childhood diarrheal disease in Kenya, Ethiopia, Senegal and Bangladesh.

Since 2011, we have also partnered with WE, the world’s largest organization of children helping children. At WE’s annual youth empowerment events, more than 400,000 students have learned about Zinc & Health. Each year at WE’s events across Canada, Teck launches its annual Zinc Saves Lives Battery Recycling Campaign. The campaign encourages students across the country to recycle used batteries to keep them out of landfills. For every AA battery recycled, Teck donates the value of zinc recycled to WE in support of zinc and health programming in Kenya.

As a major copper producer, and with a solid and growing evidence base around the antimicrobial properties of copper, Teck believes it can play an important role in the fight against the spread of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). With Teck’s financial support, Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) recently opened its newly expanded Intensive Care Unit, which included the installation of antimicrobial copper on horizontal surfaces — the first such use of copper in a Canadian hospital.

We are now exploring opportunities to work with partners to scale up the type of groundbreaking work happening at VGH and are advancing a Canadian study to assess the use of copper in reducing HAIs in hospitals across the country.

Workplace Health and Safety

As part of our sustainability strategy, we have set goals to engage our people and ensure that everyone goes home safe and healthy every day.

Our short-term health and safety goals set for 2020 include: reduce serious injuries and eliminate fatalities by ensuring our high-potential risks have effective controls in place and by enhancing our culture of safety; and implement improved occupational health and hygiene monitoring and exposure control to protect the longer-term health of workers.

Our long-term goal for 2030 is to eliminate serious injuries, illnesses and fatalities through effective high potential risk management.

SDG 3 Partnerships

As part of our focus on SDG 3, we have partnered with international organizations to improve health, safety and wellbeing in the mining industry and around the world.

Global Programs

Through our community investment program, Teck has partnered with numerous organizations to improve the health and well-being of mothers and children around the world.

As a founding member of the Zinc Alliance for Child Health (ZACH), Teck has committed more than $11 million to scale up zinc and oral rehydration salts as a diarrhea treatment in countries with high under-five death rates. Under ZACH, Teck contributed $5 million to scale up zinc and ORS in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, and India from 2011 until 2016.

Teck is also a founding partner of the 25th Team, a network of Canadian women who have committed $6 million to advance UNICEF’s maternal and child health interventions and reduce preventable deaths. The Government of Canada has matched every dollar, making it a $12 million movement for maternal and child health. As a result of 25th Team funding, UNICEF will help ensure improved nutrition, birth registration and stronger health systems for 3.8 million mothers and children by 2020.

Since 2011, Teck has partnered with WE, the world’s largest organization of children helping children. At WE’s annual youth empowerment events, more than 400,000 students have learned about our Zinc & Health program. A major program Teck leads with WE is the Zinc Saves Lives Battery Recycling Campaign. The campaign helps to keep batteries out of landfills and get zinc to those who need it most. For every battery recycled, Teck donates the equivalent value of the zinc recycled to WE in support of their zinc and health program in Kenya. In 2017, we achieved a milestone of 1.5 million batteries collected.

Teck is also a member of a number of other child health organizations, including the UN’s Diarrhea and Pneumonia Working Group, the Canadian Network for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and the UN Foundation’s Every Woman, Every Child movement.

Please see a complete list of Teck’s memberships and partnerships.

Supplementary Media & Documents

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 5 Action

At Teck, we believe our workforce should reflect the diversity of the communities where we operate and that an inclusive and diverse workforce strengthens our company and leads to more informed decision making.

About 1,400 women work at Teck, which represents 15% of our total workforce. As part of our commitment to building a more diverse workforce, we continue to focus on increasing diversity at Teck.

Teck has implemented a number of programs and initiatives to support diversity and help strengthen diversity across our operations. In 2016, we developed and released an Inclusion and Diversity Policy, endorsed by our Board of Directors and senior management team and aligned with our values and existing corporate charters and policies.

One of the programs that has helped to attract and retain a greater number of women at Teck is the Mining and Refining for Women project at our Trail Operations. The goal of this project – which includes an overall 30-month coaching/mentorship program – is to identify workplace barriers and increase opportunities for women in the mining and resource sectors in positions ranging from front-line operations to technical and professional roles.

Teck also takes a partnership approach to advancing gender equality in the communities and countries where we operate. For example, UN Women and Teck entered into a US$1 million partnership in 2016 to promote the empowerment of Indigenous women in the northern regions of Chile where the mining sector is a major economic driver. Indigenous women are often underrepresented in decision-making around resource development and in accessing the benefits that flow from the sector. A participatory research project, currently underway, aims to better understand the socio-economic situation and the unique needs of Indigenous women in Northern Chile and use these learnings to help foster their empowerment.

In addition, Teck supports other organizations focused on the advancement of women and gender equality, such as Educating Girls in Rural China, Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, Women in Mining, and the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs. In addition, Teck is a signatory to Minerva’s initiative, signed by B.C.’s largest companies to support of increasing gender diversity.

SDG 5 Impact

As part of our efforts to improve inclusion and diversity, the number of women in technical or operational roles has increased from 619 in 2012 to 748 at the end of 2016, which represents a 20.8% increase over a five-year period. As part of our commitment to building a more diverse workforce and supporting SDG 5, we continue to focus on increasing the number of women at Teck.

We recognize the importance of increasing the number of women in leadership roles, particularly at the site level. Of leaders in technical and operations roles, 8% are women; this is a 43% increase over the past five years.

We believe helping women to achieve these roles will inspire other women to recognize these positions as attainable within their careers as well. We believe having more women in leadership roles will contribute to achieving SDG target 5.1 (ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls), and SDG target 5.5 (ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.)

Through employee development, leadership and succession planning, we work to ensure that our people have the capacity, competency and opportunity to grow individually and contribute to Teck’s success.

One of Teck’s initiatives helping to enhance inclusion and diversity is our leadership development program. Leading for the Future is designed for leaders who are currently supervising employees on the front line of Teck’s business. Leading for Excellence is focused on coaching and enabling employees who manage other managers. Emerging Leaders is targeted to employees who are on track to reach key senior positions in the company. These programs and the development of our leaders are critical to the future success of our company. We track the number of program participants, with an emphasis on enrolling women, who are typically underrepresented in these roles.

In addition, we have a number of professional development programs for women at our various operating sites. For example, in 2008, our Carmen de Andacollo (CdA) operations in Chile launched a program to retrain a group of cleaning staff, mostly women, to increase their knowledge of operational roles in the mining industry. Today, twelve of the women working in operational roles at CdA began their careers as members of the cleaning staff.

We also offer programs to strengthen diversity and inclusion awareness at senior levels of the organization. For example, we have implemented unconscious bias training with senior managers across the company. The training helps participants to understand and overcome unconscious biases that may be related to gender, and supports a workforce and workplace that encourages an inclusive culture.

SDG 5 Future Plans

It is our goal by 2020 to build a diverse workforce that includes more women and by 2030 to be a diverse and inclusive workforce representative of the communities where we operate in support of SDG 5.

In October 2016, our President and CEO Don Lindsay announced Teck’s Inclusion and Diversity Policy, developed by the Senior Executive Diversity Committee and endorsed by our Board of Directors and Senior Management Team. The policy reflects our commitment to promoting and fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce.

Teck’s Vice President of Human Resources chairs our Senior Executive Diversity Committee, along with our Senior Vice President, Commercial and Legal Affairs, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and External Affairs, and one rotating member. Our Vice President of Human Resources also represents Teck on the Women in Mining Canada Gender Advisory Committee, and the Mining Industry Human Resources Gender Equity in Mining Committee in Canada. These partnerships will help to inform our approach to achieving our diversity goals in the next five years.

Our commitment to inclusion and diversity is reflected in all levels of our company, beginning with our Board of Directors. The Board has adopted specific measures to ensure that female nominees are considered when candidates for election to the Board are taken into consideration.

SDG 5 Partnerships

Through our community investment program, Teck contributes to charitable organizations, institutions and initiatives that strengthen communities. One of our key areas of focus in community investment is the empowerment of women, and we have numerous programs and partnerships in place to support SDG 5.

Education and Economic Development

Teck has partnered with UN Women, the United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, to develop a program that will create opportunities for skills development for Indigenous women and help strengthen Indigenous communities in the north of Chile. Teck will make a $1 million investment in the partnership over the course of the two-year agreement.

Teck supports the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE), a non-profit society whose mission is to educate, energize and empower female entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs who have participated in FWE programing have seen an average annualized revenue growth of over 40% in their business and 90% of all participating companies are still in business – well above the national average of 50% after five years.

Teck also supports the Educating Girls in Rural China initiative as a long-time donor and in-kind contributor. The organization helps impoverished young women from rural regions of Western China obtain a high school or university education by providing financial sponsorship, personal support and mentorship.

Health and Wellness

Teck is a founding partner of the 25th Team, a network of Canadian women who have committed $6 million to advance UNICEF’s maternal and child health interventions and reduce preventable deaths. The Government of Canada has matched every dollar, making it a $12 million movement for maternal and child health. As a result of 25th Team funding, UNICEF will help ensure improved nutrition, birth registration and stronger health systems for 3.8 million mothers and children by 2020.

Teck has been a member of the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health since 2013, which catalyzes Canadian collaboration among 100 partners who are improving women’s and children’s health in 1,000 communities worldwide. The partnership achieves this by capitalizing on the data revolution, connecting experts, and communicating impact to stakeholders. Through the power of partnership, they strive to realize a world where every women and children survives and prospers.

The Every Woman Every Child is an unprecedented global movement that mobilizes and intensifies international and national action by governments, multilaterals, the private sector and civil society to address the major health challenges facing women, children and adolescents around the world. Teck has been a member of this movement since 2014, which puts into action the United Nation’s Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, which presents a roadmap to ending all preventable deaths of women, children and adolescents within a generation and ensuring their well-being.

Supplementary Media & Documents

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 8 Action

High-quality employment and local economic opportunities are among the most important benefits Teck creates in the communities where we operate. In 2016, we distributed approximately $8.6 billion in economic value (including payments to governments, suppliers, and employees), to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all in alignment with SDG 8.

Employment and Procurement

Teck operations and sites create important and lasting benefits for individuals. These include competitive compensation, training, experience and long-term career development and, by extension, long-term financial security for the families of our employees. Many of our operations are also located in remote regions, where access to jobs, skills development and economic opportunities are otherwise limited. For example, our Red Dog Operations in northwest Alaska is the largest private sector employer for the region, and the primary source of revenues to local government.

We prioritize local hiring at Teck operations as it contributes to the economic resilience of communities and ensures that we leave a positive legacy. For local procurement, we consider each operation’s definition of local, and whenever possible, sites look for opportunities to utilize local suppliers, providing that they meet our standards and provide cost-competitive goods and services.

In addition, employment at our operations provides additional economic benefits to the communities where we operate, due to the increased purchasing power of employees and our efforts to stimulate the local economy through local procurement.

Community Investment

Community investment is a key pillar of our commitment to creating lasting benefits in the communities where we operate. We contribute to community organizations to help build strong relationships and create mutual benefits through supporting local development priorities. In particular, our community investments are focused on health, education, environmental enhancement, or community programs. Our aim is to contribute at least 1% of our pre-tax earnings on a five-year rolling average basis to community initiatives.

Agreements with Indigenous Peoples

Agreements with Indigenous Peoples near our operations create a framework for greater cooperation and clarity on topics such as consultation and engagement, the environment and land stewardship, employment and business opportunities, and typically include a financial component. Our agreements address the full range of our activities, from early stages of exploration through to closure.

Most of our agreements with Indigenous Peoples include principles and goals related to employment, such as agreement on the principle that Indigenous citizens should have a standard of living comparable to the non-Indigenous population. In addition, agreements often include commitments to training and employment processes.
We are also implementing initiatives aimed at increasing procurement from Indigenous suppliers. For example, where we have formal agreements with Indigenous Peoples, we identify local Indigenous suppliers and develop processes to share information on procurement opportunities and our supplier qualification requirements. In some situations, we work directly with Indigenous suppliers to help them meet our requirements, or provide them with training and business development support.

SDG 8 Impact

In 2016, we generated approximately $9.3 billion in revenue and distributed approximately $8.6 billion in economic value. In addition to wages, benefits and payments to suppliers outlined below, this includes $792 million in payments to municipal, provincial/state, federal and Indigenous governments in the areas where we operate, including $272 million in income and resource taxes.

Employment and Procurement

In 2016, we paid $1.3 billion in wages and benefits to our nearly 10,000 employees worldwide. As part of our focus on enhancing employee engagement and productivity, we invested $16 million in employee development and training. We track and report on our performance in hiring from local communities and sourcing local procurement. In 2016, 60% of our workforce was from local communities and 30% of our spending was from local suppliers. In total, we spent $6.3 billion in payments to suppliers in 2016.

Community Investment

We continue to meet our target of donating at least 1% of our pre-tax earnings on a five-year rolling average basis. For 2016, our community investment totaled $11.8 million. One of our most notable community investment projects in support of SDG 5 and 8 was our US$1 million partnership with UN Women to promote the empowerment of Indigenous women in the northern regions of Chile where the mining sector is a major economic driver. UN Women, Teck and local partners are developing an action plan to address barriers to Indigenous women’s economic participation and develop leadership skills and capacity building.

Agreements with Indigenous Peoples

In 2016, we had 54 active agreements with Indigenous communities in Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru and the United States, which include a wide array of our activities from early stages of exploration through to closure. One example of an agreement at Teck with provisions related to employment and benefit sharing is at our Red Dog Operations. Since mining began over 25 years ago, the Iñupiat people of northwest Alaska have received approximately US$1.53 billion, sharing the balance with other Indigenous communities in the state. The mine also creates more than 600 full-time jobs in an area of Alaska where good-paying jobs are scarce.

SDG 8 Future Plans

We are committed to providing long-term economic opportunities in the future through local hiring and procurement, coupled with strategic community investments, to encourage lasting positive benefits for the communities where we operate in support of SDG 8.

As part of our sustainability strategy, we have short-term goals out to 2020 and long-term goals to 2030 related to the economic prosperity of the communities where we operate.

Employment, Procurement and Community Investment

It is our goal by 2020 to engage with communities to identify social, economic and environmental priorities and to mutually define outcomes and measures of success. It is our goal by 2030 to create lasting mutual benefits through collaboration on social, economic, and environmental initiatives.

Agreements with Indigenous Peoples

It is our goal by 2020 to work with Indigenous Peoples to identify and participate in initiatives to support the self-defined goals of Indigenous communities and to develop metrics for monitoring Indigenous training, employment and procurement to establish baselines and drive progress. It is our goal by 2030 to collaborate with Indigenous communities to consistently create lasting benefits that respect their unique interests and aspirations.

SDG 8 Partnerships

Through our membership and involvement with several external organizations, including the United Nations Global Compact, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) Sustainable Development Framework and the Mining Association of Canada’s (MAC) Towards Sustainable Mining initiative, we engage with others on the development of best practice in areas of sustainability performance and global sustainability trends, in particular economic prosperity and inclusive growth.

Employment, Procurement and Community Investment

The Internal Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) is a global industry association that represents leading international mining and metals companies. As a member company, Teck implements ICMM’s 10 Principles for Sustainable Development, which includes the integration of sustainable development in corporate strategy and decision-making processes. This involves planning, operating and closing operations in a manner that enhances sustainable development, and providing training to ensure adequate competency at all levels among our own employees and of contractors.

One example of partnerships related to local hiring and procurement comes from our steelmaking coal operations in the Elk Valley region of British Columbia where we employ approximately 4,000 people. Teck has partnered with the Elk Valley communities of Elkford, Fernie and Sparwood, as well as with local First Nations, through the Elk Valley Economic Initiative (EVEI). The EVEI is working to promote and advance regional economic development initiatives, including addressing infrastructure gaps, workforce developing and training, and business diversification.

We partner with international organizations to implement our community investment program around the world, including UNICEF, UN Women, Nutrition International, the Government of Canada, WE, International Zinc Association and many others.

We also partner with the World Economic Forum, an international institution committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation. WEF engages political, business, academic and other leaders of society in collaborative efforts to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Agreements with Indigenous Peoples

To date, Teck has negotiated agreements with Indigenous Peoples in countries such as Canada, Chile, Peru, Australia and the United States. These agreements range from general memoranda of understanding to more comprehensive long-term agreements. In 2016, we had agreements with the following Indigenous groups: Alexis Nakota Sioux, Whitefish Lake First Nation, Sucker Creek First Nation, Ermineskin First Nation, Ktunaxa Nation Council, Shuswap Indian Band, Nlaka’pamux Nation Tribal Council, Nlaka’pamux Participating Bands, Lower Nicola Indian Band, Stk’emlupsemc te Secwepemc Nation, Tamentica and Copaquire, Ecozona Matilla, Quechua Indigenous Community from Huatacondo, Iñupiat of Northwest Alaska, Fort Chipewyan Métis Local 125, Fort McKay First Nation and Fort McKay Métis.

Supplementary Media & Documents

SDG 13: Climate Action

SDG 13 Action

At Teck, we believe our company and our industry have an important role to play in helping tackle the global challenge of climate change. This is why, in support of SDG 13, Teck has set ambitious targets to reduce our carbon footprint and implement alternative energy. In addition, we actively advocate for policies that support the world’s transition to a lower carbon economy.

Our strategy to contribute to global climate action, adapt to a low-carbon economy and continue to responsibly produce the materials essential for society is built around four pillars, as outlined below.

1. Reducing our Carbon Footprint

We have set long-term targets to reduce GHG emissions and are working to achieve them through innovation, improved efficiency and adoption of low-carbon technologies. We are focused on driving our emissions even lower and have set ambitious targets to further cut emissions and improve energy efficiency at our operations. Our target is to reduce our emissions by 450,000 tonnes by 2030, which would be the equivalent of taking over 95,000 cars off the road annually.

2. Positioning Teck for the Lower Carbon Economy

Our diversified mix of products and focus on efficient, low-cost operations will ensure Teck remains competitive throughout the shift to a low-carbon economy. The minerals and metals we produce — including steelmaking coal, copper and zinc — are some of the basic building blocks of low-carbon technology and infrastructure.
We are focused on continuing to reduce costs to ensure our mines remain efficient and low-cost. This gives us increased ability to weather potential carbon-related costs and shifts in demand, while remaining competitive. In some cases, cost reduction is also supporting carbon reduction at Teck. Measures to improve the efficiency of our operations often also lead to further reductions in the carbon intensity of our mining activities.

3. Advocating for Climate Action

We support action at all levels to combat climate change and are actively advocating for broad-based, effective carbon pricing. Teck is a signatory of the 2015 Paris Pledge, in support of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We are also actively advocating for policies that reduce emissions, including broad implementation of carbon pricing. Teck was the first Canadian resource company to join the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, a partnership of national and sub-national governments, businesses, and organizations working toward integrating carbon pricing into the global economy. We are also a member of the Council for Clean Capitalism.

4. Adapting to the Physical Impacts

We are adapting to the physical impacts of climate change and increasing the resilience of our operations by incorporating forecasted climate scenarios into project design and mine closure planning.
We are incorporating a range of climate parameters into our project designs and ongoing mine planning processes to minimize our vulnerability to climate variability and to ensure robustness.

SDG 13 Impact

Reducing our Carbon Footprint

As of the end of 2016, we had reduced our GHG emissions by approximately 217 kt of CO2e, and we are working towards our 2020 GHG reduction target of 275 kt of CO2e emissions and 2030 goal of 450 kt of reductions.

In addition to our long-term goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is our goal is to commit to 100 megawatts (MW) of alternative energy generation by 2030 and as part of that goal, we have evaluated and used alternative energy sources at our operations. To date, we have implemented 30.7 MW of alternative energy generation, including the development of a wind facility in Alberta, solar facility in B.C. and implementation of solar power as the primary energy source for our Quebrada Blanca Operations in northern Chile.

Many of our operations already use low-carbon sources of electricity. In B.C., where seven of our operations are located, 92% of grid electricity is clean and renewable energy, and is almost entirely generated from hydro.
Positioning Teck for the Lower Carbon Economy

As a result of our work to date, Teck is now one of the lowest GHG emission-intensity miners in the world. According to data from the International Council of Mining and Metals, our steelmaking coal and copper production rank among the lowest for carbon intensity, compared to the global mining industry.

We also know that the metals and minerals we produce are essential to building the technologies and infrastructure necessary to reduce GHGs and adapt to the effects of climate change. For example, renewable energy systems can require up to 12 times more copper compared to traditional energy systems; and steel and the steelmaking coal required to make it is necessary for infrastructure that reduces emissions, such as rapid transit and wind turbines. Continued responsible production of these metal and mineral products is essential to the global effort to combat human-caused climate change.

Advocating for Climate Action

In 2016, we engaged with governments to advocate for effective and efficient carbon pricing. In particular, we met with the British Columbia, Alberta, and Canadian governments and became the first Canadian resource sector company to join the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, a partnership of national and sub-national governments, businesses and organizations working toward integrating carbon pricing into the global economy. We are also a member of the Council for Clean Capitalism.

SDG 13 Future Plans

As part of our sustainability strategy, we have short-term goals to 2020 and long-term goals to 2030 to support SDG 13.

Short-Term Goals:
  • Implement projects that reduce GHG emissions by 275 kilotonnes (kt) of CO2 -equivalent by 2020.
  • Implement projects that reduce energy consumption by 2,500 TJ by 2020.
  • Assess opportunities and identify potential project partners toward achieving our 2030 alternative energy goal by 2020.
  • Engage with governments to advocate for effective and efficient carbon pricing by 2020.
    Long-Term Goals:
  • Implement projects that reduce GHG emissions by 450 kilotonnes (kt) of CO2 -equivalent by 2030.
  • Commit to 100 megawatts (MW) of alternative energy generation by 2030.
  • Implement projects that reduce energy consumption by 6,000 TJ by 2030.

Energy will continue to be one of the most significant costs in our business. As such, we will continue to focus on improving our efficiency and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. In 2017, we will continue to advocate for broad-based, effective carbon pricing, reduce our emissions and support the development of alternative energy technologies: efforts that support SDG 13, to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. We will also continue to evaluate opportunities for alternative energy at our operations, major projects and legacy properties.

SDG 13 Partnerships

As part of our support of SDG 13, Teck has partnered with organizations worldwide to work together on the challenge of climate change.

Partnering for Climate Action

Teck is a signatory to the Paris Pledge for Action in support of reducing emissions and achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement. We are members of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition as well as the Council for Clean Capitalism. We also report to the Carbon Disclosure Project.

Partnering on Alternative Energy Generation

We are investing in research and building alternative power generation technology. For example, we are partners in a community solar farm in B.C. called SunMine, and are assessing other opportunities to develop or source alternative power generation.

SunMine is located on the site of Teck’s former Sullivan mine in Kimberley, B.C., which closed after more than 100 years of operations and has since been fully reclaimed. As part of our ongoing work to support the growth of Kimberley post-mining, Teck provided the land and site infrastructure to the City of Kimberley for the SunMine project, and contributed $2 million towards its construction. Other partners included British Columbia’s Innovative Clean Energy Fund, the Columbia Basin Trust, and Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust.

Teck also partnered to develop a large-scale wind power facility in Alberta called Wintering Hills. Our investment in Wintering Hills helped us advance our sustainability goal of developing or sourcing non-carbon emitting electrical energy. It also provided an opportunity to develop our understanding of wind power generation and evaluate other opportunities to develop wind projects around our operations to further support our sustainability goals.

In 2013, our Quebrada Blanca Operations partnered with AES Gener, a producer and distributor of electricity in Chile, to guarantee a supply of solar power for the next 20 years. This partnership is part of the strategic development of renewable energy sources for current activities at the operation as well as future activities at Quebrada Blanca Phase 2.

Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance

Teck is a founding member of Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), which brings together companies to share innovation and research to improve environmental performance in Canada’s oil sands, including reducing GHG emissions. To date, COSIA member companies have shared 814 distinct technologies and innovations that cost almost $1.3 billion to develop. Through COSIA, we are able to support improved climate performance in the oil sands, as well as tap into the latest research and advances in GHG reductions as we advance our own oil sands development projects.

Supplementary Media & Documents