At SSR, we know that climate change and extreme weather are material issues across the mining industry and for broader society. We also recognize the link between our energy use and climate change. We are committed to being part of the global solution to the climate change challenge.
Our approach to climate change and climate risk is informed by three key principles; understanding the risks, measuring and reducing to the extent practicable our impacts on climate change, and disclosing our performance. Our commitment to adapting to managing climate risk is set our in Environment and Sustainability Policy, which compels us to;
- Use energy and other natural resources as efficiently as possible
- Assess climate risk and strive to manage and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions
- Review, assess, adopt and implement clean technologies and renewable energy sources as they become economically viable
Throughout 2020, we continued to develop our climate change strategy by establishing the baseline for Company emissions. We worked with globally-recognized experts to conduct regional analyses of climate science to inform resilience planning for Marigold, Puna and Seabee and improve our understanding of the potential climate vulnerabilities of our operations and communities where we operate. We will extend this risk-based analysis at our Çöpler Mine. As a result of this physical risks analysis undertaken in 2020, several examples of risks and opportunities are outlined below:
| Risk | Description | Potential Opportunities |
|
Increased temperatures |
Climate models show exposure to this risk impacting ice roads in northern locations |
Alternative site access ways and transportation options |
|
Potential flooding events and overall water availability |
Projected trends in maximum rainfall suggest potential increase in this hazard |
Innovations that result in reduced water consumption |
|
Extreme weather events |
Projected trends in drivers of wildfires causing potential impacts to infrastructure and diminishing air quality |
Robust dust and air quality monitoring programs and collaboration with communities |
“By effectively managing our energy needs, we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the achievement of global emission reduction targets, including those set out in the Paris Agreement. By understanding the physical and transitional risks associated with climate change, we can make our business and operations more resilient.” – Rodney P. Antal – President and Chief Executive Officer
In 2021, we will be embarking on an ambitious journey to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and key actions for this include:
Setting the Baseline
During 2021 we will work to understand the baseline emission for our expanded Company. Once the baseline is identified we will set a science-based emissions reduction target.
Understanding the Risks
In 2019, SSR started a formal approach to assessing climate risk throughout its operations and conducted physical risk assessments at all operations. During 2021 a physical risk assessment will be conducted at the Çöpler Mine. The results of the physical risk assessments will form the basis of SSR’s climate strategy
Disclosing our Progress
During 2021 we will respond to the 2020 Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Carbon questionnaire, and work to align our climate change disclosures with the requirements of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
The impacts and risks of climate change to our business are discussed at our board meetings and we have committed to set a target and action plan for net zero emissions. The steps are outlined below.
- 2021 Set the emissions baseline for our Company
2021- 2024 Identifying opportunities to reduce our emissions and the roadmap for implementation