Chile state-owned copper producer Codelco has received the highly sought-after Copper Mark sustainability certification for its El Teniente operation.
A Reuters report said the news comes after Codelco confirmed last year it would seek the certification for all of its mines by the end of this year, with El Teniente, south of Santiago, being first.
Chile’s largest global copper producer, the Centinela and Zaldivar de Antofagasta mines and the deposits of BHP Escondida and Spence, already have the qualification.
“The credentials obtained by El Teniente today show that we are on the right track, which will become even clearer during 2023, when all our operations centers complete their processes and, we hope, obtain this seal of global reach,” executive president Andre Sougarret told the news service.
Additionally, the company’s chairman Maximo Pacheco said the company is seeking a large-scale green push amid pressure from international clients and local regulations to produce more sustainable copper, Reuters noted.
Copper Mark participants commit to fully meet the Copper Mark’s standards within two years of signing up to the assurance process and to continuously strengthen practices as these standards continue to be updated to align with increasing stakeholder expectations on ESG.
The Copper Mark, formed in 2019, seeks to promote transparency and accountability of its participants in general and especially in the case where a participating site manages complex issues that have significant environmental or social impacts.
The 39 sites that have received The Copper Mark make up more than 25% of global mined copper.
Source: Chile’s Codelco gains sustainability certification for El Teniente mine | Reuters