First Quantum Minerals Ltd.
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2020, 2023)
Reporting Period: 2020
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:4,259,000 tCO2e/year (2020)
Scope 1 Emissions:3,732,000 tCO2e/year (2020)
Scope 2 Emissions:527,000 tCO2e/year (2020)
Renewable Energy Share:79% of purchased electricity consumption in Zambia (2020)
Total Energy Consumption:23,096 TJ/year (2020)
ESG Focus Areas
- Climate Change
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced GHG emissions by almost 100,000 tonnes CO2e at Zambian operations in 2020 through innovations in mining technologies.
- Expansion of Cobre Panama operations to be powered by renewable energy by 2023, saving approximately 70,000 tonnes of CO2e per year.
Social Achievements
- Maintains strong links with host communities through regular engagement; undertakes initiatives to assist in the availability of key resources such as water and access to education and training.
- $6.7 billion investment in Cobre Panama mine resulting in approximately 34,000 direct and indirect jobs for Panama.
Governance Achievements
- Established an Environment, Health, Safety and Corporate Social Responsibility (EHS&CSR) Committee responsible for reviewing and monitoring climate change risk management policies and processes.
- Integrated internal carbon pricing into new project evaluation process.
Climate Goals & Targets
Medium-term Goals:
- Reduce absolute GHG emissions by 50% by 2030.
- Reduce GHG intensity of copper mined by 50% by 2030.
Short-term Goals:
- Reduce absolute GHG emissions by 30% by 2025.
- Source alternative supply options of up to 50% of energy currently provided by Panama power station with renewable energy by 2025.
Environmental Challenges
- Potential failure of tailings storage facilities due to increased rainfall or extreme weather events.
- Increased intensity or frequency of extreme weather events impacting mining activities and health and safety.
- Supply chain disruptions due to extreme weather events.
- Power supply disruptions in Zambia (hydroelectricity dependent) and Panama (vulnerable power line infrastructure).
- Adverse impacts of changing weather patterns on host communities in Zambia.
- Stricter regulations and carbon pricing related to GHG emissions.
- High costs and risks associated with transitioning to new technologies for decarbonization.
- Shifts in customer preferences and increased stakeholder concerns regarding GHG emissions.
- Potential reduction in capital availability due to sector stigmatization and pressure to decarbonize.
Mitigation Strategies
- Regular scenario modelling and planning for extreme weather events in tailings management.
- Implementation of health and safety procedures to minimize the impact of extreme weather events.
- Active management of key supplies and engagement with host governments on infrastructure maintenance.
- Engagement with local and national governments on power supply and exploration of alternative renewable sources.
- Strong community engagement and initiatives to enhance resource availability and farming techniques.
- Regular engagement with government authorities on regulatory changes.
- Focus on mining and processing efficiency projects to reduce emissions.
- Long-term contracts for power offtake and self-supply opportunities.
- Engagement with OEMs to monitor availability of low-emission mine fleet technologies.
- Prioritization of trolley-assist and electrification of pit machinery.
- Commitment to reduce reliance on high-carbon fuels for power generation.
- Price monitoring and offtake agreements for key inputs.
- Transparency in reporting and engagement with stakeholders on climate change strategy.
Supply Chain Management
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Increased rainfall and variability impacting tailings storage facilities
- Extreme weather events impacting mining operations and infrastructure
- Supply chain disruptions due to extreme weather
- Power supply disruptions due to changes in rainfall (Zambia) and vulnerable infrastructure (Panama)
- Adverse impacts of changing weather patterns on communities
Transition Risks
- Stricter regulations and carbon pricing
- High costs and risks of transitioning to new technologies
- Shifts in customer preferences
- Reduced capital availability due to sector stigmatization
Opportunities
- Increased demand for copper in clean energy technologies
- Opportunities for cost savings and improved efficiency through decarbonization
- Premium pricing for low-emission products
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: TCFD, GRI, CDP
Reporting Period: 2023
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Sustainability
- Greenhouse gas emissions reduction
- Water management
- Community engagement
Environmental Achievements
- Upgrade of the Kansanshi smelter to increase processing capacity, which reduces downstream greenhouse gas emissions from the transport and refining of copper concentrate produced by Kansanshi and Sentinel
- Expansion of trolley assist infrastructure across the Zambian operations to lower diesel consumption and associated mine fleet greenhouse gas emissions
- Relocation and installation of in-pit crushers at the Zambian operations to optimize haul cycle efficiency and reduce mine fleet diesel consumption
- Water initiatives at various operations for the management of water quality and reuse by operations
Social Achievements
- Investments at Trident to enhance the social infrastructure serving both our workforce and local communities
- Community engagement in relation to the La Granja development project in Peru
Governance Achievements
- Dividend suspension
- Capital expenditure reductions
- Operating costs and other reductions
- Working Capital reductions
- Asset and stake sales
- Financing activity
Climate Goals & Targets
Environmental Challenges
- Suspension of production at Cobre Panama due to operational issues
- Lower throughput and grades at Zambian sites
- Inflationary cost increases driven by higher shipping rates, steel prices, power costs, labour rates and general inflation
- Weak nickel market conditions
- High operating costs at Ravensthorpe
Mitigation Strategies
- Decisive action to conserve capital, lower costs and strengthen the financial position
- Cost saving initiatives, including a change in strategy at Ravensthorpe to temporarily remove higher cost production
- Reductions or re-phasing of planned capital programs by approximately $400 million in 2024 and $250 million in 2025
- Targeting reductions in working capital requirements and savings in the procurement of materials, supplies and third party service costs
- Exploring the sale of smaller mines and interests in its larger mining assets
- Commenced discussions with banking partners to address and extend bank loan facilities