The mining company's proposal for the future is based on governance, social relations, environment and safety & innovation

Seeking to do mining differently, with a focus on the sustainability of its operations, Samarco launched, this Wednesday (21), its sustainability strategy and released its statement of commitment. The strategy was revisited after a collaborative process that involved all areas of the company, including surveys and interviews with leaders and opinion formers, and outlines specific goals and targets to be achieved in 2021 and 2022.

In line with the current challenges and trends in ESG (environmental, social and governance) sustainability, Samarco's Statement of Commitment to Sustainability is based on governance and organizational culture, structured in three pillars: social relations, environment and safety & innovation. In the statement, Samarco reinforces its objective of generating results and building value for society, aiming at managing its own impacts, and, above all, collaborating with social and environmental development in the host territories and communities in Minas Gerais – Mariana, Ouro Preto, Catas Altas and Santa Bárbara , and in Espírito Santo – Anchieta, Guarapari and Piúma. 

"The new sustainability strategy includes improving indicators and involves actions with regard to the environment and the development of society, with the purpose of reinforcing our generation of value and rebuilding a closer relationship of trust and respect in the territories where we operate. More than issuing a statement, we will guarantee that our activities are carried out with maximum respect for the lives of all beings and the environment”, says CEO Rodrigo Vilela.

Among the goals outlined and the lessons learned are good sustainable practices that include the use of new technologies in the iron ore production process, allowing 90% of the water extracted through filtration to be recovered and recirculated in the production process, reducing impacts on the environment.

According to the Director of Projects and Sustainability, Reuber Koury, as of the restart in December of last year, Samarco is strongly focused on sustainable development, the conscious and planned use of environmental assets, and on the waste disposal system, which reinforces the commitment to meeting current demands without harming future generations, combining safety and innovation, from mine to port. “It is a living commitment that will consolidate and evolve through practical initiatives, whose guiding themes and respective results must be discussed and constantly evaluated with all the publics involved”, he commented.

Samarco resumed its operating activities in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo gradually, at 26% of its production capacity, implementing new technologies for the disposal of tailings, with the dry stacking of approximately 80% of the volume generated in the beneficiation of iron ore. 

Additional information on Samarco's Statement of Commitment is available at: www.samarco.com/sustentabilidade.  

Pillars of Sustainability

Governance and Organizational Culture

We aim at evolving towards a different mining, in partnership with our employees and the different publics with whom we interact. In addition to our values ​​and cultural traits, our commitment to Sustainability continues to be guided by the pillars of Social Relations, Environment and Safety & Innovation

Social relationships:

- Assuring and consolidating human rights, creating equal opportunities.

- Investing in professional skills development, both inside and outside Samarco.

- Open to active dialogue in favor of local interests.

- Operating an ever more ethical mining, with clear goals and accessible communication channels.

Environment:

- Acting firmly in the reconstruction of social and environmental relations.

- Conserving and protecting biodiversity, monitoring and preserving the fauna and flora in our area of ​​influence.

- Operating responsibly in the use of natural resources, taking into account the regeneration capacity of nature.

Safety & Innovation:

- Valuing ​​life, identifying and preventing risks to the health and safety of all living beings.

- Seeking excellence in the use of technologies that enhance the ability to transform and innovate.

- Joining forces with other mining companies to seek innovative solutions that contribute to our activity and society.