Capstone Copper Publishes 2022 Sustainability Report

The Report details the Company’s management approach and performance on material sustainability topics across its operations for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2022.

Capstone Copper Corp. announces that it has published its 2022 Sustainability Report, 'Growing Responsibly' (the 'Sustainability Report' or the 'Report'). Growing Responsibly is Capstone’s inaugural sustainability report as a combined company, continuing a practice established by its predecessor companies. The report has been prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”) Standards and the SASB Metals and Mining Sustainability Accounting Standard. 

John MacKenzie, Capstone’s CEO, commented, “I am pleased to share our first sustainability report for the combined Capstone Copper. Integral to our values, we are committed in our drive to direct our resources and the skills of our people to address some of the world’s biggest sustainability challenges. Our growth is deliberate and responsible. Copper is an essential metal that facilitates decarbonization and electrification; it plays a critical role in addressing the climate crisis, and we recognize our role as a responsible producer.”

2022 Sustainability Report Highlights

We underwent a steady and deliberate embedding of responsible practices in all areas. Some of our highlights from 2022 include:

• Capstone adopted a Sustainable Development Strategy (the “Strategy”), which will guide our future growth. The Strategy serves as a blueprint to ensure alignment with our vision and values. It is supported by five strategic priorities (Climate, Water, Tailings, Biodiversity, and Communities), each of which has meaningful targets.
• Capstone continued to invest in significant development projects to extend the life of our mines and to make our operations more efficient and competitive. The expansion of the Mantos Blancos sulphide processing plant was completed in April 2022 and construction continued at the Mantoverde Development Project.
• In their first year of reporting as a combined company, Capstone not only integrated our sustainability data streams but enhanced our disclosure as well. Capstone have included more in-depth commentary on processes for community engagement and biodiversity management. Capstone report sustainability metrics for all sites with three years of data.

Some 2021-2022 data trends include:

• Total water consumption remained steady at 18.3 million cubic metres while total freshwater use decreased by 14% (from 21% to 18%) primarily due to increased pit dewatering at Pinto Valley.
• Total energy use rose by 12% due to increases in both fuel (13%) and electricity (11%) use, mainly driven by fuel for capital projects and electricity for new facilities. However, overall GHG emissions decreased by 1% due to significant reductions in emissions from both the Chile and Arizona grids.
• Per 200,000 hours in 2022, our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) was 0.15 and our Total Reportable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) was 0.21. These metrics improved across most sites, falling 35% and 33% respectively, attributable to the emphasis on proactive safety management practices.
• Capstone’s combined workforce grew by 36% to 8,425 over 2021, driven by the temporary workforce needs of key development and construction projects. Capstone’s employee demographics remained relatively constant, with 8% women. Global new hire rate (22%) and turnover rate (14%) both decreased in 2022 by 28% and 7% respectively, which is an indication of a relatively stable employee workforce.

The 2022 Sustainability Report is available on Capstone’s website at https://capstonecopper.com/responsibility/