Teck is committed to responsible resource development. We are focused on operating sustainably, ensuring the health and safety of our people, and building strong relationships with communities. We have internal policies and external commitments that guide and allow us to evolve with emerging sustainability trends and best practices.
Sustainability Approach and Goals
At Teck, the pursuit of sustainability guides our approach to business. Over our more than 100-year history, we have learned that responsible mining and mineral development are fundamental to our long-term success.
About Our Strategy
We established our first sustainability strategy close to a decade ago, setting out long-term goals to drive improved sustainability performance across our activities. In 2020, we updated our strategy to reflect changing global expectations and position Teck for the future. Our new sustainability strategy has eight strategic themes: health and safety, climate change, responsible production, our people, tailings management, water, biodiversity and reclamation, and communities and Indigenous Peoples.
Our strategy is integrated into decision-making by embedding it into management standards, compensation and into corporate, site and employee annual plans and objectives. Throughout the year, our senior management team and the Safety and Sustainability Committee of the Board review performance against our sustainability strategy and approve future actions.
Moving forward, we are focused on achieving our sustainability goals while managing emerging risks and embracing opportunities that increase our competitiveness and contribute to sustainable development.
Our Sustainability Goals
Strategic Priority:
Eliminate fatalities, serious injuries and occupational disease
Goals:
- Contribute to the elimination of fatalities and serious injuries through significantly enhanced critical control verification for fatal hazards.
- By 2025, contribute to the elimination of occupational disease by implementing new technologies in real-time exposure monitoring to improve exposure controls for dust and welding fumes.
For more information on our work towards achieving goals in this strategic theme, see the Health and Safety page
Strategic Priority:
Be a carbon neutral operator by 2050
Goals:
- Reduce the carbon intensity of our operations by 33% by 2030.
- Procure 50% of our electricity demands in Chile from clean energy by 2025 and 100% by 2030.
- Accelerate the adoption of zero-emissions alternatives for transportation by displacing the equivalent of 1,000 internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2025.
For more information on our work towards achieving goals in this strategic theme, see the Climate Change and Energy Use page
Strategic Priority:
Continue to manage our tailings across their life cycle in a safe and environmentally responsible way
Goals:
- Preferentially consider milling and tailings technologies that use less water for both new mines and any mine life extensions at existing mines.
- Expand the use of digitally connected surveillance technologies to assist in monitoring our tailings storage facilities.
For more information on our work towards achieving goals in this strategic theme, see the Tailings Management page
Strategic Priority:
Foster a workplace where everyone is included, valued and equipped for today and the future
Goals:
- Increase the percentage of women working at Teck – including women in leadership positions – and advance inclusion and diversity initiatives across the company by 2025.
- Equip our employees for future workplace and leadership needs, including upskilling and reskilling, by investing $200 million in training and skills development programs by 2025.
- Expand employee engagement opportunities, including employee-driven community initiatives and a company-wide feedback program, by 2025.
For more information on our work towards achieving goals in this strategic theme, see the Our People page.
Strategic Priorities:
- Be a leader in responsibly providing the metals and minerals needed for the transition to an economy focused on reducing waste and keeping products in use
- Work towards disposing zero industrial waste by 2040
Goals:
- By 2025, establish site-based industrial waste inventories and plans to turn waste into useful and appropriate products. Based on these inventories and plans, set goals for industrial waste reduction.
- By 2025, develop and implement a responsible producer program and "product passport" that is traceable through the value chain.
- Be a leader in product stewardship by continuing to implement our Materials Stewardship program and produce secondary metals at our Trail Operations.
For more information on our work towards achieving goals in this strategic theme, see the Responsible Production page
Strategic Priority:
Work towards securing a net positive impact on biodiversity
Goal:
- By 2025, all operating sites have and are implementing plans to secure net positive impact.
For more information on our work towards achieving goals in this strategic theme, see the Biodiversity and Reclamation page
Strategic Priorities:
- Transition to seawater or low-quality water sources for all operations in water-scarce regions by 2040
- Implement innovative water management and water treatment solutions to protect water quality downstream of all our operations
Goals:
- By 2025, design all development projects in water-scarce regions with a seawater or low-quality water source.
- By 2025, implement new source control or mine design strategies and water treatment systems to further advance efforts to manage water quality at our operations.
For more information on our work towards achieving goals in this strategic theme, see the Water Stewardship page
Strategic Priority:
Collaborate with communities and Indigenous Peoples to generate economic benefits, advance reconciliation efforts and improve community well-being
Goals:
- Increase local employment and procurement opportunities by 2025 to deliver direct economic benefits to communities.
- Achieve greater representation of Indigenous Peoples across our business by 2025 by increasing employment and procurement through business development, capacity-building, education and training opportunities.
- Deliver positive social, economic and environmental outcomes for communities and Indigenous Peoples by contributing $100 million to community organizations and global initiatives, including our Zinc & Health and Copper & Health programs, by 2025.
For more information on our work towards achieving goals in this strategic theme, see the Relationships with Communities and Indigenous Peoples page
Our Stories
Teck is a diversified resource company committed to responsible mining and mineral development with major business units focused on copper, steelmaking coal and zinc, as well as investments in energy assets.