Engaged and Prosperous Communities
From the initial stages of exploration to the eventual reclamation and rehabilitation of a mine site, Eldorado relies on the relationships we have with our stakeholders to work toward socially inclusive and sustainable development.
From the initial stages of exploration to the eventual reclamation and rehabilitation of a mine site, Eldorado relies on the relationships with our stakeholders and Indigenous peoples to work toward socially inclusive and sustainable development. The communities near our sites experience the most direct social, environmental and economic impacts of our business.
By maintaining open and transparent communication, providing competitive wages and benefits, prioritizing local hiring and procurement, contributing our fair share of taxes and royalties, and investing in community programs and infrastructure, we work hard to support the development goals of our host communities and governments.
Indigenous peoples are often impacted by mining. In Canada, the mining industry is the single largest employer of Indigenous peoples and contributes to the sustainable development of Indigenous communities across the country. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada highlighted that Canada’s private sector has an important role to play in helping to reconcile historical injustices faced by Indigenous peoples. Eldorado has a responsibility to meaningfully consult Indigenous communities and provide equitable access to employment, training and educational opportunities.
Our updated Human Rights Policy has been informed by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and commits Eldorado to “respecting the collective and customary rights, interests, culture and connection to the land of directly affected Indigenous peoples, if present in the area of influence. We will work to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before proceeding with development and throughout the life of the project.” We continue to strengthen our relationships with Indigenous communities near our Lamaque Complex and are committed to the relationships we have built.
Our team at Lamaque works with local Indigenous communities, contractors and educational institutions to provide training and employment opportunities to Indigenous peoples. The VP & Country Manager, Canada is responsible for Indigenous engagement in Québec. Directly impacted Indigenous peoples have not been identified at or near our other operations.
All of our operating sites regularly meet with Community of Interest Committees (CICs) that we believe play an important role in providing independent feedback on our activities. These committees are composed of representative and local stakeholders, including community leaders, youth, Indigenous representatives, government regulators, environmental organizations and technical experts.
Community Investment
Our approach to community investment is responsive to local needs, while maintaining the core principles of inclusion and transparency. Engaging with local stakeholders to understand our impacts as well as their goals for the sustainable development of their communities is essential to how we identify and implement community investment projects. Each site is responsible for its own community investment initiatives, with the exception of the Kassandra Mines, which acts as a singular community investment unit on behalf of Olympias, Skouries and Stratoni.
Community investment projects are first assessed and then implemented by our community relations and public relations teams at each of our sites. Mine General Managers, along with country-level oversight from the EVP, Development, Greece, VP & Country Manager, Canada, and VP & Country Manager, Türkiye, are responsible for overseeing community investment projects and their contributions to sustainable development. Eldorado’s VP, Health, Safety & Sustainability supports in-country teams in developing frameworks that optimize the efficacy and transparency of our community investments.
In 2023, we formally adopted a Community Investment Guidance as part of SIMS, which was developed through a collaborative process across sites, for the purpose of advancing sustainable development in host communities through strategic community investments. This involved aligning to Eldorado’s values, policies and SIMS, as well as our commitments to MAC-TSM and the WGC’s RGMPs and leading international frameworks on community development and investment. We will seek to formally implement the Guidance in 2024, addressing opportunities identified to support communities in building long-term resilience and self-reliance, and share best practices across global teams, given their unique local socio-economic contexts.
| Area of Focus | Related SDG | Our Investments |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Culture |
|
Enabling culture and diversity of local communities through preservation of heritage and promotion of local traditions and practices |
| Economic Development |
|
Supporting local business development, skills and capacity building in the local labour force, as well as entrepreneurship opportunities |
| Education and Youth |
|
Fostering opportunities for childhood, youth and adult continuing studies, as well as research and education initiatives relevant to the mining sector |
| Environment |
|
The protection and preservation of the natural environment around our mines that go well beyond regulatory requirements |
| Health and Well-being |
|
Securing improved quality and access to local health care services that can operate independently and sustainably, and supporting recreational projects and sport clubs that promote healthy and active lifestyles |
| Infrastructure |
|
Continuing the implementation and maintenance of physical infrastructure that supports community needs and a post-mine economy |
Enabling culture and diversity of local communities through preservation of heritage and promotion of local traditions and practices
Supporting local business development, skills and capacity building in the local labour force, as well as entrepreneurship opportunities
Fostering opportunities for childhood, youth and adult continuing studies, as well as research and education initiatives relevant to the mining sector
The protection and preservation of the natural environment around our mines that go well beyond regulatory requirements
Securing improved quality and access to local health care services that can operate independently and sustainably, and supporting recreational projects and sport clubs that promote healthy and active lifestyles
Continuing the implementation and maintenance of physical infrastructure that supports community needs and a post-mine economy
Eldorado formally adopted a Community Investment Guidance document in 2023. The purpose of the document is to serve as a reference guide across our sites for decision-making on community investments with strategic objectives.
Local Employment and Procurement
Wherever possible, we prioritize hiring local employees and working with local suppliers. This practice positively impacts local and national economies by providing well-paying jobs and generating government revenues that can be directed toward health care, education and infrastructure. Conversely, negative impacts can include inflated local prices for goods and services as well as income disparity between the mining and non-mining workforce.
We strive to purchase materials and services from companies near our sites. This enables local suppliers to develop their businesses and increase their capabilities with regard to providing a larger proportion of products and services. Domestic suppliers of goods and services are the biggest recipients of our supplier expenditure, accounting for 85% of site procurement in 2023.
In 2023, our global workforce continued to grow, particularly due to expansion at Lamaque in Canada and increased works at the Skouries development project in Greece. We also maintained a leading local employment rate of 79%, and 99% of both our employees and contractors are from the countries where we operate.
Complaints and Grievances
We believe that conducting business honestly and respectfully requires open communication between our sites and stakeholders. When grievances are raised, we act and respond with due diligence. Effective grievance mechanisms play an important role in governing and remediating any impacts.
As part of our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, we have a Whistleblower Policy so that any stakeholder, internal or external, can confidentially report any concerns, which are managed by an external whistleblower-reporting agency. Eldorado’s Audit Committee Chair and Corporate Secretary oversee all submissions and investigations.
Our Community Response Standard in SIMS requires all of our sites to receive, manage and respond to community grievances, comments, and requests, in conformance with Level A of the MAC-TSM Indigenous and Community Relations Protocol.