Teck commits to Copper Mark for its mines

Teck Resources Ltd. has committed to Copper Mark, a voluntary assurance framework to promote responsible production practices and demonstrate the industry's commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Initiated by the International Copper Association, the Copper Mark was founded in 2019 to act as an independent entity and is the first and only comprehensive social and environmental assurance system for copper production.

Copper producers that have been independently assessed as having implemented policies and practices conforming with the Copper Mark Responsible Production Criteria include Rio Tinto, Kennecott Utah Copper, Freeport-McMoRan, as well as numerous countries and mine sites; while the following producers have signed their own letters of commitment to participate in the Copper Mark Assurance Framework such as, BHP, LS Nikko Copper, Southern Peaks Mining, Freeport-McMoRan, Aurubis AG, and numerous others, and now the most recent Teck Resources.

The Copper Mark Criteria for Responsible Production are management system requirements defined in the Risk Readiness Assessment created by the Responsible Minerals Initiative, a collaborator to the Copper Mark.

It represents the core expectations from over 40 leading existing voluntary sustainability standards across all major ESG topics.

Currently, there are 32 separate points listed for companies to meet to be eligible for this designation and Teck has committed to meeting these within 24 months at its Highland Valley Copper operation.

"Copper is critical for the transition to a low-carbon economy and we have outlined near-term plans and future opportunities for significant copper production growth in the years ahead, and we are focused on being a responsible producer of this essential metal," said Teck Resources President and CEO Don Lindsay. "Our participation in the Copper Mark is another way we're enhancing transparency and ensuring customers have the information they need on our performance as a responsible copper producer."

To achieve the Copper Mark, Teck's Highland Valley Copper operations in Canada will be assessed and independently verified against the 32 responsible production criteria this year.

Teck currently plans for its Carmen de Andacollo operations and QB2 project in Chile – which is expected to begin production in the second half of 2022 – to start the Copper Mark assurance process in 2023.

Some of the criteria Teck will need to fulfill include legal compliance, business integrity, stakeholder engagement, business relationships, and even child and forced labor.

They cover all topics for establishing the most inclusive and conscientious work site for any copper-producing Copper Mark aspirant, covering even gender equality and indigenous peoples' rights.

"Copper has a critical role to play in the green transition as a vital material in clean energy technologies," said Michèle Brülhart, executive director of the Copper Mark. "The Copper Mark sets out a framework to verify that copper producers operate responsibly while contributing to the development of the low-carbon economy."

As another step for Teck in its commitment toward carbon neutrality by 2050, this accreditation will be a significant part of the company's roadmap to that goal, and with more ESG standardizations coming out to contribute toward transparent and green practices, Teck Resources once again shows it is not messing around when it comes to caring for our planet.

You can read the full Risk Readiness Assessment at: http://www.responsiblemineralsinitiative.org/media/docs/RRA/2019%20RRA%20Issue%20Areas%20and%20Industry%20Norms_FINAL.pdf