While tough market conditions are forcing mining companies to tighten their belts, Teck Resources Ltd. does not see maintaining responsible and environmentally sound operations as an area in which it can afford to trim its budget.

That commitment has propelled the diversified miner onto the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for six years running, ranking it among the top 10 percent of the 2,500 largest companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index.

"We know that the success of our business is dependent on our ability to develop resources in a way that is responsible and sustainable for communities and the environment," Teck Resources President and CEO Don Lindsay said. "That is why we continue to integrate social, economic and environmental performance into every decision we make, even during current challenging market conditions."

RobecoSAM, a sustainability investing investment specialist hired by Dow Jones to compile the index, gave Teck high marks in sustaining biodiversity, asset closure management, finding and keeping talented employees, and operational eco-efficiency.

This recognition reflects many of the accomplishments that Teck outlined in its 2014 Sustainability Report. Achievements highlighted in the report, published in June, include:

The strengthening of an endangered herd of 24 caribou in northeastern British Columbia due to the birth of nine calves through a maternal penning program supported by Teck;

A 170,000-metric-ton reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at Teck operations as a result of programs implemented since 2011;

The recycling of 38,000 metric tons of waste at Teck operations;

A 16 percent increase in the number of women in operational and technical roles; and

An approval from the Government of British Columbia for Teck's Elk Valley Water Quality Plan, which featured collaboration with indigenous peoples, local communities, environmental organizations and governments.

"As we have seen in the past year, Teck's sustainability achievements, large and small, are an important part of our business performance," said Marcia Smith, the company's senior vice president, sustainability and external affairs.

Dow Jones and RobecoSAM are not the only firms recognizing Teck's commitment to sustainability.

Earlier this year, Corporate Knights Inc., a Canadian media group focused on sustainable development, ranked Teck among the "Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations" for a third consecutive year.

Sustainalytics, a global sustainability research and analysis firm, also put Teck on its list of the "Top 50 Socially Responsible Corporations in Canada."

Balance at Red Dog

While such recognition from prestigious global organizations such Dow Jones shines a spotlight on Teck's sustainability achievements, it is the observations of those most affected by the company's mining operations that give these efforts the most credibility.

Northwest Arctic Borough Mayor Reggie Joule told international delegates attending the Conference on Global Leadership in the Arctic (GLACIER conference) in Anchorage, that the Red Dog Mine in Northwest Alaska is a prime example of sustainable development.

"We have the Red Dog Mine, where we have worked to ensure the subsistence renewable resources are not sacrificed as we develop these non-renewable resources," the Iñupiat leader said during an opening speech.

Situated roughly 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Red Dog is among the largest zinc mines in the world.

In 1982, Cominco (now Teck) and Iñupiat-owned NANA Regional Corp. signed a landmark agreement that directs how the mine is operated and ensures sustainable benefits for the region and its people.

A quarter century since the 1989 startup of operations at Red Dog, the mine continues to be an economic engine for this remote Arctic region and serves as a positive example of indigenous people and mining companies working together.

"The Red Dog partnership has set the standard for how resource development can create economic prosperity and opportunity while at the same time supporting tradition, culture and heritage," Teck CEO Lindsay said during a 25th anniversary celebration at Red Dog.

While the Iñupiat are enjoying the economic benefits of being 30 percent owners of one of the world's top zinc producers, they measure the success of the partnership by the ability to hunt and gather the foods that have sustained them in Northwest Alaska for millennia.

"We have learned with diligence and oversight that you can balance resource development and still have the animals and the fish and the plants flourish," said Joule.

Author Bio

Shane Lasley, Publisher

Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.

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