After an exhaustive independent review, Codelco has achieved the Copper Mark certification for El Teniente, the world’s largest underground copper mine. The global responsible production program thereby confirms that Codelco’s southernmost operations centre uses production processes that meet high sustainability standards.
“Our copper is part of the solution to climate change that threatens the planet and must be produced in a responsible manner consistent with that cause. The credentials obtained by El Teniente today show that we are on the right path, which will become even clearer during 2023, when all our operations centres complete their processes and, we hope, obtain this seal of global reach,” declared André Sougarret, Codelco CEO, after receiving the international certification for El Teniente.
The Copper Mark verification process began with a letter signed in 2022, through which Codelco committed the entry of its El Teniente Division into the program’s review chain. To accredit it, 32 criteria grouped into categories such as Business and Human Rights, Community, Labour and Working Conditions, Environment and Governance were evaluated.
To obtain the certification, the El Teniente Division self-assessed its compliance with the Copper Mark. A team of external auditors from EY also travelled to the O’Higgins Region to corroborate the information and conduct interviews with executives, workers, and members of the community.
“Environmental and social value is one of the main axes of management in our operations. Faced with a market that asks us for more copper, produced responsibly, it is very important to demonstrate that this statement comes true every day,” said Andrés Music, General Manager of El Teniente.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of The Copper Mark, Michèle Brülhart, said: “It is very relevant to us that the company that is currently the largest copper producer in the world has committed 100% of its operations in this process of obtaining The Copper Mark. We especially congratulate the El Teniente team for their achievements and their commitment to responsible production practices.”
Regarding the state company’s progress in this area, Codelco’s Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Nicole Porcile, highlighted that: “this certification represents a new step for Codelco towards responsible production in all its operations and projects. In the last year we have implemented environmental management systems, occupational health and safety, Human Rights due diligence, and mineral supply chain, along with other actions to transform the organisation.” She added that El Teniente’s analysis and certification will be transparently available on The Copper Mark’s website, as well as information from the rest of the divisions, as they progress through the accreditation process.
