Page 67

When you think about environmentally-progressive industries, does mining come to mind? The technologies and methodologies of our sector may not have changed significantly over the past century, but the advancements we are making in the area of sustainability may surprise you. Mining companies are re-thinking their operations throughout the entire mining life cycle to get the right information to the right people at the right time through big data analysis, the Internet of Things and by using artificial intelligence to boost productivity; to improve safety; and to operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner.First, let us look at the big picture – and a big challenge facing all of us. As a global phenomenon, climate change requires a coordinated approach in which government and private enterprise Pictured: Goldcorp’s new water stewardship technology has potential to propel the industry to a giant leap forward in tailings managementwork together to achieve a common goal. That is why Goldcorp is a proud signatory of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), of which global warming mitigation is a central facet. These ambitious goals provide a framework for government and industry to achieve measurable targets by the year 2030.A key SDG calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Mining is energy-intensive, however there is great potential in our industry to invest in energy efficiency measures, incorporate renewable energy into our power supply and reduce our carbon footprint. Goldcorp’s Energy Stewardship Strategy ensures that we continue taking progressive steps to manage our energy use and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. As just one example, we have completed a feasibility study for building a wind farm to “IT IS NO SECRET THAT MINING IS A WATER-INTENSIVE PROCESS, BUT THE INDUSTRY IS HARD AT WORK ON INNOVATIONS THAT CHALLENGE THAT AGE-OLD DYNAMIC”RESPONSIBLE MINING 067