The theme for this year’s final issue of Connect is Remaining Focused, and I think that is a fitting message to guide us as we reflect on the tremendous work underway across our company to help navigate through the challenges of today and build an even stronger Teck for tomorrow.
The acceleration of RACE21™ is a major part of that work and is transforming how we mine. In Connecting Data Systems Delivers Real Value at Elkview Operations, we hear from Senior Engineer Adam Bondi about how connecting data systems is helping the team bring together large volumes of data under one platform to deliver real value at the operation while also improving sustainability performance. Meanwhile, in Five Questions about RACE21™, we hear from Vice President, Transformation, Greg Brouwer and some of the compelling thinking around why RACE21™ is important, why it’s right for Teck and why now.
The execution of our world-class QB2 copper project in Chile is another area of exciting progress. In QB2: Site Transformation, this progress is brought to life through a series of photos and a new video that provide a snapshot of Teck’s mine of the future as it takes shape. In this section, we also meet Carla Vargas, a QB2 employee and recent participant in Elige Crecer (Choose to Develop), a joint initiative between Teck and Fundación Chile to promote training, increase local employability and build a sustainable supply chain in the Tarapacá Region.
RACE21™ and QB2 are two of our company’s four key priorities right now, with the Cost Reduction Program and enhancements at Neptune Terminals rounding out the list. Remaining focused on these will be critical to Teck’s long-term competitiveness and, ultimately, our future.
Our future also depends on our ability to operate in the most socially and environmentally responsible ways possible. To help guide this work, in March 2020, we will release new goals and strategic areas in sustainability, those that will guide us to 2040 and beyond. These goals will push us to the next frontier of sustainability, and they are directly connected to what we see happening in the market and across society. We are setting new goals in areas such as climate change, communities, water and circular economy, and reiterating our commitments in health and safety, tailings, and biodiversity. In Understanding Circular Economy with Katie Fedosenko, Manager, Sustainability Reporting, we focus in on circular economy, why it’s important to Teck and what it could mean for how we operate in the future.
There are so many exciting aspects to Teck’s future. We will be a company transformed through RACE21™, we will join the list of the world’s largest copper producers with QB2, we will ensure long-term competitiveness for our world-class steelmaking coal business, and we will continue to play a leadership role in the area of responsible mining and mineral development through our next set of sustainability goals.
Ensuring an exciting tomorrow requires us to remain focused on today, and I’d like to thank everyone for bringing focus to your work, every shift, every day, all across Teck.
I would also like to thank everyone for the tremendous support provided to our colleagues in Chile following the tragic incident that took the life of one of our contractors with the QB2 project. Our thoughts remain with his family, friends and community. We’re committed to sharing the learnings from the investigation to prevent incidents like this in the future.
2019 has been a year of highs and lows, and I believe 2020 may bring much of the same. I know we have the right team in place to not only navigate the challenges before us, but to also remain focused on what is most important and core to who we are: the health and safety of our people; the pursuit of sustainability in all that we do; and the efficiency and productivity of our operations.
As the year draws to a close, on behalf of myself, the entire Senior Management Team and our Board of Directors, many thanks to everyone across Teck for your dedication and service to our company. Have a safe and happy holiday season.
Don Lindsay
President and CEO
