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Through our community investment programs, we aim to support local people and communities, including underserved and marginalized groups. Each site has an annual budget for community investments.
Our Sustainability Policy outlines the areas where we want to drive positive impact in society. These areas are education, local economic development, public health and community infrastructure, and were identified in consultation with community members. Each year we also make funding available to support pressing local needs and community events.
Since our Mexican host communities have a vested interest in our operations, we proactively engage with our communities as a strategic business priority. Our dedicated team includes a community relations manager or coordinator at each site. Bi-annually we perform a materiality assessment to gather community input to prioritize concerns that matter most to our stakeholders and our business.
Through our Community Engagement System, we aim to manage our relationships and interactions with the community. The system establishes clear procedures for:
- Managing our impacts
- Promoting development through community investment and partnerships
- Building trust with our neighbors through ongoing and open communication
- Following-up on commitments
We strive to proactively gauge any concerns arising in the community, so that we can take preventative actions and resolve issues before they escalate. Our Grievance Mechanism ensures local communities have a voice. Through this important feedback channel, community members can formally present a complaint or grievance to us about activities relating to our mining operations. The Grievance Mechanism is designed to be objective, accessible, and transparent. It is aligned with the standards of the International Finance Corporation and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
As we advance Terronera towards construction, we have taken many steps to promote dialogue and participation with our stakeholders. We have opened and staffed offices near the project and are undertaking a number of activities, including:
- Engaging local and state government representatives and work to align sustainable development objectives with them
- Conducting social studies to help us understand local services and personnel and how we can maximize local hiring and procurement in the area.
- Developing a risk management plan and safety measures to safeguard community health and the safety of construction crews, employees and contractors.
- Establishing a full time medical and ambulance facility, paramedics and a doctor to serve the employees and contractors at the project.
- Conducting water studies and social impact assessments within the communities to identify potential project impacts on use of land and natural resources.
- Evaluating community needs and reforestation plan alternatives to make conservation efforts part of the community’s sustainable development management plans.
We strive to leave a lasting legacy for local communities long after our mining activities have ceased. For us it’s about respecting the people and areas that supported our operations. We consider the entire life cycle of our mines, including the post-mine transition. This forward-thinking approach is not only important for local communities; it helps Endeavour identify and reduce social, environmental and financial risks and liabilities.
For each site, we have an ‘environmental mine closure plan’ that outlines how the affected lands will be reclaimed and the associated costs. The plans have been developed by a Mexican environmental consulting group specializing in this type of work. They adhere to applicable Mexican environmental laws, including the requirement for monitoring tailings ponds during post reclamation to mitigate risks.
Together with a Mexican consulting group, we have also established ‘social closure plans’ for our mines. These plans address the social and economic aspects of mine closure, and aim to build resilience in the communities through education and employability skills that will support the town when the mine closes.
