Rio Tinto’s Diavik Mine Wins Towards Sustainable Mining 2023 Award

Rio Tinto’s Diavik diamond mine in the Northwest Territories to be the recipients of this year’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) Excellence Awards.

The TSM Excellence Awards were introduced in 2014 and comprise two categories: the TSM Environmental Excellence Award and the TSM Community Engagement Excellence Award. For mining companies to qualify for these awards, they must be actively applying TSM principles.

TSM assesses its effectiveness based on a series of thorough environmental and social performance standards. These standards comprise tailings management, climate change, water stewardship, relationships with Indigenous peoples and communities, safety and health, preservation of biodiversity, crisis management, and the prevention of child and forced labor.

The company founded a program that created a circular economy, reusing old copper that was no longer in use at their underground mining operations. The copper was reused and sold to local communities, with the proceeds being used by the mine for their local Community Contribution Program. The initiative has since raised over $500,000 for local charities like the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation, YWCA NWT, HomeBase Yellowknife, Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation, and NWT On The Land Collaborative.

Furthermore, the project has diverted approximately 225,000 pounds of copper cable from ending up in the landfill.

Source: Rio Tinto

Photo Credit: Rio Tinto