Sustainable Mining Strategy Organization of the Year - Brazil Originating from the establishment of Companhia Mineira de Metais (CMM) in Brazil back in 1956, Nexa Resources has spent decades growing and reinventing itself, solidifying its status as one of the leading producers of zinc in the world. The Nexa Resources brand was created in 2017 and represented the merging of the company’s previously separate Brazilian and Peruvian operations into one, guided by identical principles. Zinc produced in these Latin America mines is used in industries across the world, with applications spanning agriculture to aeroplane manufacturing. In a similar vein, the business’ copper is used in the production of cars and smartphones, and both materials are used in crafting renewable energy. With more than 65 years of experience under its belt to leverage and eyes fixed firmly on the future, a couple of years ago in 2022, the company made the public pledge to expand its ESG focus. This involved the implementing of a clear and meticulously designed strategy for the next several years, laying the groundwork for a series of goals it aims to achieve by 2030, and further targets for well into the future, with these predominantly spanning the environmental and the social, supported by a robust governance structure. Centring their operations around an ethos of driving a mining strategy that changes the world, the team were acutely aware of the necessity of aligning their operations with increasing demands for sustainable practice. Six polymetallic mines are operated by the company, with three of these being situated in Peru - Cerro Lindo, El Porvenir, and Atacocha, two in the state of Minas Gerais – Vazante and Morro Agudo, and Aripuanã in Mato Grosso, the newest and arguably most impressive. In addition to these six mining outfits, three zinc smelters are in operation, Cajamarquilla, in Peru, and Três Marias and Juiz de Fora, in Brazil, all of which are responsible for zinc production, as well as zinc oxide and a series of other by-products. Cajamarquilla also happens to be one of the world’s largest zinc smelters by volume, and the largest across North and South America. More than 5,500 employees make up Nexa Resources’ workforce, and more than 8,500 permanent contractors and 3,795 temporary contractors complete these operations, with contractors largely operating in the fields of technology deployment, automation, engineering, and mineral exploration. Working in an industry that can be dangerous at times, the safety of all concerned continues to be of the uppermost priority for the company, with its operations being focused largely on ways to constantly improve safety protocols, achieved through the undertaking of detailed identification and management of risks, as well as the improvement of standards, and the implementation of effective controls. 2022 saw further evolution within the company, with it realising its growth ambition by ramping up its activities at Matto Grosso’s Aripuanã mine, a project developed with strict adherence to this ESG strategy, specifically the elements regarding a performance that was sustainably sound and bolstered by a design that was low cost and would yield a long life. This mine and its adherence to ESG is discussed further below, but this project ultimately serves as Nexa Resources’ largest development in Brazil, costing $632m, and it is expected that once the mine reaches fruition, more than 70% of the zinc that the company smelts will come from its own mines, up from the approximately 50% in 2022. That same year, the company attained a record EBITDA of $760m, welcomed a new CEO, and as previously mentioned, set about significantly expanding, updating, and strengthening its ESG strategy. Since 2022 also saw huge impacts on the global economy stemming Jan24394 Nexa Resources is driven by a relentless mission to impactfully integrate sustainable mining practices into our ever-changing world, with its eight operations that are distributed between Brazil and Peru, three refineries and six mines, serving the global market in a way that causes minimal disruption to the environment. Accounting for approximately 4% of the world’s zinc production and acting as Latin America’s only metallic zinc producer outside of Mexico, Nexa Resources is also a keen producer of copper, lead, silver, and gold as by-products. Across this operation, sound governance standards and a robust structure are in place that allow for operations to be carried out effectively and ethically on a global scale, paving the way for the future of the mining industry.
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