Our vision for sustainability

We are committed to having a positive impact on Colombia and its people. We work hard to make sure our operations contribute to the sustainable development and well-being of our employees and the communities in our area of influence. We understand that our responsibility goes beyond just mitigating the impacts generated on society and the environment as a result of our operations and organizational decisions.

We are committed to:

We have adopted as our strategic vision, “to increase and share the benefits of the business project with stakeholders in our areas of influence by building and strengthening local skills”. This vision has the following four pillars:

Peace and human rights:

establish skills to build a fair and tolerant society that lives in peace.

Governance for development:

strengthen local institutional capabilities for greater efficiency in planning and public administration.

Environmental performance:

enhance the business skills that will guarantee world-class performance.

Comprehensive development:

strengthen local skills in favor of the prosperity of employees, their families, and the communities in our area of influence.

We actively contribute to closing existing gaps in the country, especially those connected with the following SDGs:

We have voluntarily signed, or base our actions, on the following initiatives:

1 Peace and human rights

Due diligence in human rights

We are committed to promoting and respecting the human rights of all people involved in our operations in Colombia and those living in the area of influence.

Our proactive contributions to the exercise of human rights include:

DECENT AND WELL paid work

IMPROVEMENTS in access to education

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REGULATED and supervised by the State

STRENGTHENING of healthcare infrastructure

GENERATION OF royalties and tax payments

PROMOTION on the ground of peaceful coexistence with former combatants and communities

TRUST-BUILDING ARENAS to prevent conflict and promote agreements

LOCAL PURCHASING AND CONTRACTING to spark dynamism in other sectors

VOLUNTARY SOCIAL INVESTMENT to strengthen institutions

100% of security personnel have recived human rights training

2 Governance for development

Regional outreach and participation

We engage in outreach activities to form partnerships with national and regional stakeholders, so together we can build and promote shared visions for the future.

• As a member of the Working Group on Human Rights and Coal, we backed a joint declaration rejecting threats against people’s lives and integrity.

Work in resettlement

In our work with the resettlement of the communities of Plan Bonito, Boquerón and El Hatillo, during 2018:

• We signed the Resettlement Action Plan – RAP with the communities of Hatillo, El Paso, and Cesar.

• We continued implementing actions to improve the quality of life of families in Boquerón, La Jagua de Ibirico, and Cesar in the areas of education, community infrastructure, job creation, and community strengthening.

• In Plan Bonito, we continued implementing the Livelihood Restoration Program for the families relocated in 2015.

• We employed 140 people from the resettlement communities either directly or through contractors.

3 Environmental Performance

Administration of water resources

We work at properly managing this vital liquid in every area of our operation. A comprehensive strategy helps us take care of water and efficiently use the resources available.

Protection of biodiversity

This is one of the main objectives of our environmental management, given the relevance of biodiversity in sustaining current and future generations, as well as the company’s responsibility for timely implementation of measures to preserve, conserve, and recover ecosystems.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPENSATION

Our Forest Compensation Program, a pioneering effort in Colombia, has the purpose of forming biological corridors between fragments of different natural ecosystems in the Department of Cesar, using restoration and conservation hubs and productive projects as tools for connectivity.

wild animals

Were released through our wildlife protection program.

ha of intervened areas

In 2018, the recovery process began for more than 150 ha of intervened areas.

trees

We planted around 60,000 trees from 30 native species.

in withdrawals from natural sources relative to the year 2017 by means of recycling rainwater stored at the mining complex.

Air quality

Having the right strategies for controlling air quality, which take into account socioeconomic dynamics and the region’s weather conditions, is basic to taking care of the health of the people living here and of our workers, and taking care of the natural environment. Through the Program for Environmental Monitoring and Management of Air Quality, we identify the impacts of each stage of the process and determine and monitor actions for mitigation.

We have the country’s largest fleet of tank trucks per production unit, with the greatest capacity for spraying

The budget resources allocated to air quality management in our mining projects in

US $15,458,044.37
with another

US $70,524.97

for the port project.

4 Comprehensive development

Occupational Health and safety

Industrial safety is our lifestyle. We have an occupational health and safety system based on and certified under the international standard OHSAS 18001:2007. This means that, once we have identified our priority risks and implemented all of the operational controls, our employees can perform their work safely.

• Recertification of the Management System in accordance with OHSAS
standard 18001:2007

• Emerald Cross of Merit Medal in the category of Excellence for the operations
of the Transportation Department (Railroad).

• Reduction to under 0.5 of the risk index (RI) for occupational exposure to
crystalline silica.

Work with suppliers and contactors

We stimulate professional and business development in the area of influence, while injecting dynamism into the regional economy, by providing direct and indirect job opportunities in high-tech environments with high standards for industrial safety, the environment, and social issues. This transforms our suppliers and contractors into a determining factor in the operation’s efficiency, effectiveness, and long-term sustainability.

Community relations

Generating a positive impact, respecting the communities, and working toward progress for the people in the area where we operate are basic pillars supporting the organization’s sustainable development.

THE INVESTMENT OF US$2,290,718.76 IN BENEFIT OF MORE THAN 1,362,485 PEOPLE IN THE DIRECT AREA OF INFLUENCE OF OUR OPERATIONS.

THE EXECUTION OF MORE THAN 30 PROJECTS IN THE 11 MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AREA OF INFLUENCE OF CESAR AND MAGDALENA.

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 130 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN CESAR AND MAGDALENA.

Trade union relations

We believe that a good relationship with our trade unions, based on respect for freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, helps strengthen arenas for social dialogue and maintain a good working environment. These, in turn are fundamental conditions for achieving the company’s objectives.

WE CREATED ADDITIONAL ARENAS
FOR SOCIAL DIALOGUE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF UNION ORGANIZATIONS (8) IN 2018.

WE CLOSED OUT THE YEAR WITH 73% OF THE WORKFORCE COVERED BY THE COLLECTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS.

Human talent management

The importance of continuously and properly managing human talent lies in how doing so contributes to meeting corporate standards and the goals and strategic objectives for each role in our organization.