Sustainability

Sydvaranger is a mining company that will be supplying the world market with a high quality magnetite iron ore product. Sydvaranger’s magnetite iron ore has a high percentage of iron and due to its exothermic properties, releases energy in the steel making process. Consequently, not only does the high quality ore produce more steel per tonne of input, it has a lower climate footprint.

Mining has been an important contributor to the community of Sør-Varanger for over four generations. Our operations are conducted in the strictest compliance with environmental regulations, local planning decisions, and observance of all directives by competent authorities and international guidelines. Our continuing ambition is to be operating side-by-side our local communities in a sustainable manner, with minimal impact on the environment.

Our environmental policy

Sydvaranger will build a sustainable future for our employees, the community we are a part of, suppliers, customers, shareholders and business partners. Environmental sustainability will be achieved by fostering internal and external environmental awareness and exercising rigorous control and compliance over our industrial activities. This will only be possible by working closely with the local community, our neighbours, our employees and other stakeholders, and by acknowledging the competence residing in all stakeholders.

Working principles

• The company shall use the best practicable methods, materials and techniques, which aim to minimise the impact on the environment.
• We shall aim to optimise the consumption of freshwater in our operations.
• We shall continuously and systematically aim to minimise emissions and work to eliminate the risk of unplanned emissions from the business. We work to minimize waste production and find good uses for wastes – to the extent possible.
• We intend to hold an open dialogue about environmental issues with the community and legal authorities.
• We will work towards optimising energy use and reducing emissions from the business. We will work to substitute use of fossil energy with green electricity.
• Employees and other stakeholders with which we communicate shall be made aware that our product is manufactured in an environmentally responsible manner.
• We will be as open and transparent as possible on all matters of our production.
• We welcome all opinions on our operations, both positive and negative, and encourage all to contact us if you have suggestions on how we can improve or how negative impacts can be reduced or mitigated.

Health and Safety

Sydvaranger aims to create a safe and healthy working environment for everyone who works on our site, visits our operations or with whom we do business. We believe that safety is an attitude and a mindset and that each job, each action and each task we carry out can be conducted with safety as the first consideration. This attitude and behaviour toward a strong health and safety culture is captured by our “Motivation”, a core value of this Company, which underscores the way we work and conduct our business. We will strive to achieve “best practice” in all matters relating to health and safety.

The responsibilities for health and safety are shared throughout the organisation. Our management provide leadership and a good example in the use of safety systems and procedures which promote a positive safety attitude. At the same time, every individual has a personal responsibility for his or her health and safety as well as a duty of care toward his or her work colleagues.

We acknowledge and respect that all employees and visitors of Sydvaranger have a right to be unharmed. Our continuous efforts and endeavours, our motivation, are to ensure this goal is achieved on a daily basis.

Community

Sydvaranger aspires to be an important part of the local community. Most people that have grown up in the area have one or several family members that have worked at the mine. As a result of this history, the local community is very engaged in what happens at Sydvaranger. And the Sydvaranger-team, in turn, are extremely focused on keeping an open channel of communication to the local community. Sydvaranger aims to regularly seek the advice of local politicians, environmentalists, the indigenous Sami people and neighbours of the mining area. We recognize that the success of Sydvaranger is dependent upon a thriving local environment and believe in a goal where the majority of our workforce will be based locally.

Diversity and Equality

Sydvaranger recognises that success and sustainability are outcomes which are inherently linked to our people, our values and our behaviour both internally and externally. We embrace a view that the strength of our team is enhanced with diversity and solidified through both inclusion and equality.

Sydvaranger is committed to creating a workplace which is built upon a foundation of diversity and equality in all forms, and where unfair discrimination is absent from our activities and conduct.
Sydvaranger will seek to fulfil its commitment by:
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• Communicating our commitment toward equality and diversity to all stakeholders
• Consulting with unions, interested groups and persons
• Informing employees, potential employees and contractors
• Ensuring appropriate mechanisms and routines exist for reporting, reviewing and addressing matters of discrimination
• Treating acts of discrimination as a disciplinary matter

The responsibility for diversity and equality is shared by all at Sydvaranger, while the Board and Management take a leading role to ensure our objectives and standards for equality and diversity are being met.