Kinross generated $3.5 billion in economic benefits to host countries through taxes, wages, procurement and community support, according to the company’s 2021 sustainability report.
The company noted that out of the $3.5 billion in support to economies, it supported community programs that reached roughly 1 million beneficiaries in the year. Since 2010, the company has contributed more than $40 billion to the economies of host countries, averaging $4 billion every year.
More so, Kinross noted it achieved record high levels of local employment with 99 per cent of total workforce and 92 per cent of managers from within host countries where it operates. It also sourced 84 per cent of goods and services in country, working with roughly 6,000 suppliers globally.
In line with global standards, the company instituted a Global Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council, maintaining 33 per cent female representation of board members and started a Women in Mining: Peer Networking Program connecting women across Kinross.
Safety at Kinross Mines
Kinross continued to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on its operations, prioritized the health and safety of its employees and provided access to vaccinations for both employees and host communities, along with a broad testing strategy in line with regional and government guidelines.
In terms of safety at its mines, Kinross noted:
“Overall safety performance remained in line with three-year averages but was overshadowed by a fatal accident at the Chirano mine in Ghana and a serious mill fire at Tasiast.
“As a result of these incidents and near incidents, the company has undertaken numerous steps to improve safety culture, with a strong focus on people and their individual and collective responsibility.”
Sustainability Report
The company recorded over 96,000 stakeholder interactions, which represents approximately 17 per cent of the local area populations around its sites, with positive feedback 17 times greater than negative, the report states.
Kinross Initiative in Nevada
In 2021, Nevadans saw a rise in employment insecurity due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and Kinross Nevada identified an opportunity to expand its recruitment outreach in response.
In October 2021, the Round Mountain team partnered with Nevada Partners, Nevada Careers, and the Nevada Mining Association and held a hiring seminar targeting job seekers from Westside, an underserved community in Las Vegas.
The initiative, called Mining for Talent Las Vegas, aimed to reach an audience generally less familiar with mining career opportunities available in rural Nevada, despite having the necessary skills, according to the report.
As part of the initiative, candidates were brought from Las Vegas to Round Mountain for a site tour, most of whom had never been to rural Nevada. Round Mountain hired 11 new miners from the first Mining for Talent Las Vegas event, the report states.
To help integrate them into mining and rural Nevada living, the operation also provided these new employees with free housing for six months. Together with Trout Unlimited, established the Alaska Abandoned Mine Restoration Initiative and started its first project at Resurrection Creek, an area affected by historical placer mining.
At Bald Mountain, through the “Kinross Cares” initiative and partnerships with local chambers of commerce and other organizations, the mine provided much-needed support for foster children, victims of domestic violence, and homeless people.
Kinross Climate Action
In the report, the company announced the target of a 30% reduction in intensity of Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, over the 2021 baseline, and to have net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.
In line with these efforts, Kinross reclaimed more than 247 acres of land during 2021 and, in Paracatu, saw the return of endemic fauna in reclaimed areas.
Companywide, Kinross enhanced its ESG oversight by updating the charter of the Board Corporate Responsibility and Technical Committee and established an ESG Executive Committee that reports to the company’s senior leadership team and to the board on a quarterly basis last year.
Overall, Kinross remains on track regarding conformance with the Responsible Gold Mining Principles and expects to complete external assurance in 2022, the company said.
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