logo-loader

Auroch Minerals' maiden sustainability plan highlights its vision and priorities to support a sustainable business

Published: 15:06 21 Jul 2021 AEST

Auroch Minerals Ltd - Auroch Minerals' maiden sustainability plan highlights its vision and priorities to support a sustainable business
In aligning its strategy with the UN SDG’s, it has considered a mix of goals set by peers and outputs from third-party ESG risk assessment tools.

Auroch Minerals Ltd (ASX:AOU) (FRA:T59) has published its maiden sustainability plan, which highlights its vision and priorities to support a sustainable business. 

Theis plan is focused on creating value for all stakeholders, including shareholders, partners, traditional landowners and the local communities. 

The company’s plan and pillared strategy are aligned to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and have been set by the company’s sustainability committee, led by director Mike Edwards. 

Essential to deliver core strategy

Auroch non-executive chairman Ed Mason said: “We believe operating in a sustainable manner is essential to delivering the company’s core strategy and objectives and will help create long-term value for all our stakeholders, including shareholders, partners, traditional landowners and local communities.

“As a junior mining company exploring for mineral deposits, we have an ideal opportunity to ensure sustainable practices are adopted in all our activities and future mining projects.”

The company’s complete sustainability plan can be accessed on its website via the following link:

https://www.aurochminerals.com/wp-content/uploads/Auroch-SustainabilityPlanJuly.pdf

Sustainability goals blueprint

The company’s sustainability plan provides a blueprint for how it will contribute positively to the environment and communities where it operates while continuing to build stakeholder trust, innovate, and play a leading role in the energy transition through the discovery of nickel sulphide deposits.

In aligning its strategy with the UN SDG’s, Auroch has considered a mix of goals set by peers as well as outputs from a third-party ESG risk assessment tool.

Health & safety

Its strategies and practices are based on providing a safe and efficient workplace and supporting its employees, suppliers and contractors to assume responsibility for the safety and health of themselves and others.

Auroch’s Occupational Health & Safety Policy strives to minimise hazards and reduce risks to its entire workforce and the community in which it operates, including zero incidents across all of its drilling and operational activities.

Climate change

Auroch currently has minimal Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as it is primarily conducting intermittent exploration activities through drilling contractors.

However, the company believes it can play an important role in climate change by supporting the development of nickel sulphide resources and other base metals used in clean energy applications such as electric vehicles (EV).

When Auroch sanctions the development of a mining operation,  it will monitor and report energy consumption and activities, in compliance with the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act.

Furthermore, where possible, Auroch will look to incorporate renewable energy or low carbon fuel sources to minimise Scope 1 & Scope 2 GHG emissions.

Environment

Auroch currently complies with all applicable environmental laws and for any future mining operation, the company is committed to low Scope 1 & Scope 2 GHG emissions.

Although it has minimal Scope 1 GHG emissions, it still applies leading drilling and exploration techniques to promote drilling efficiency and minimise the environmental impacts of its exploration activities.

When Auroch sanctions the development of a mining project, it will be committed to measuring and reporting its impact on the environment and will commence publishing a regular sustainability report.

The report will focus on environmental issues such as water usage, air quality, waste disposal, land disturbance and if applicable, other notable environmental risks such as tailings management.

Under-representation of women

An area of current focus in the Western Australian mining industry is the under-representation of women in mining from the ore face through to the executive team.

Auroch believes that gender equality and the role of women in mining needs ongoing attention.

As a company, it aims to provide a gender-sensitive and inclusive working environment inside the company to attract and retain female talent at all levels.

Indigenous partnerships

Auroch is committed to developing and maintaining a positive relationship with its local and host communities, indigenous peoples and representative groups where it operates.

To meet these commitments, Auroch engages regularly, openly and honestly with people and organisations affected by its operations, ensuring that these stakeholders are aware of its planned operations, the potential impacts, as well as environmental protection measures.

This covers the preservation of cultural and indigenous heritage areas, conservation of flora and fauna, and protection of current and future land use.

The company also actively encourages community participation in its operations to foster economic empowerment in its host communities and has a preference to employing local contractors and service providers.

For the 2021 / 2022 drill program, Auroch has used the services of Australia’s first indigenous-owned and operated drilling contractor and a Supply Nation registered indigenous provider, ‘Seismic Drilling Services’.

Further, in 2021, Auroch set aside a capital budget to support local community initiatives and projects.

Economic sustainability

Where possible, the company supports local manufacturers and suppliers for the purchase goods and services.

During the 2020 financial year, almost all of the company’s goods and services, by dollar value, were procured with contractors based in WA.

Its economic value distributed to the community amounted to A$2.3 million and included A$838,183 of payments to suppliers and employees and a further A$1,462,683 of exploration expenditure.

Sustainability reporting

In accordance with its sustainability plan, the sustainability committee will commence sustainability reporting at the time of sanctioning the development of a mining project.

Australian Strategic Materials signs US$600 million LoI

Rowena Smith, CEO and managing director of Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASX:ASM, OTC:ASMMF), joins Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio to discuss the company’ s Dubbo Project, in Central West New South Wales. This project aims to extract and process critical minerals and rare earth...

5 hours, 26 minutes ago