In its CSR roadmap, Eramet has set out its aim “beyond its activities, to accelerate the local and sustainable development for communities and host regions”. To this end, the Group has undertaken to set up the following initiatives at all of its sites by the end of 2026:

  • 6,000 jobs voluntarily supported (excluding core business)
  • 500 young people, 50% of whom come from local communities and 50% girls, supported to benefiting qualifying training

Managing societal risks and impacts

Avoiding the risks and managing the impacts inherent in mining and metallurgical activities is a fundamental aspect of maintaining strong relations with local communities. In keeping with internationally recognized standards, Eramet has developed a number of tools to identify, assess and manage the social impacts of its operations. These include assessing risks to community health, safety and security, cultural heritage and living standards.

Through community consultation, local communities are involved in defining and implementing risk management measures appropriate to the sites concerned.

This is also the case when land acquisition is necessary. These purchases are always carried out following a public consultation process involving the authorities, representatives of the communities concerned and the company, to define a resettlement plan approved by all concerned. These plans specify the most appropriate compensation arrangements, as well as the long-term support required to maintain or improve the quality of life of the people affected.

Risk prevention by Setrag

Since 2017, Société d’Exploitation du Transgabonais (Setrag), an Eramet subsidiary, has organized a major communication campaign every year to raise awareness about the risks of collisions with trains, in addition to the regular meetings its field teams hold with communities located close to the railway.

  • 5 train risk awareness campaigns in 2022
  • +35,000 local residents involved
  • 3,500 pupils from local schools
  • 7 pedestrian bridges built

Dialogue with communities

Site activities, environmental risks, social impacts… Eramet and its subsidiaries are committed to informing and consulting local communities on an ongoing basis. Carried out in compliance with local legislation and the most stringent international standards, this work takes a variety of forms: organization of public information meetings or open days, printed publications, public consultations, setting up of joint committees, and so on.

For sites where new activities are being developed, information and consultative processes are essential in order to explain the features of the projects and involve communities in defining measures for controlling the impacts they are likely to experience.

  • By 2022, 100% of sites had established regular dialogue with host communities.

In New Caledonia, more than 1,600 people had the opportunity to talk with SLN’s CSR team in 2022.

Local complaint management procedures

All the Group’s sites (including the mining sites in Gabon and Senegal and our project in Argentina) have set up a procedure for recording and handling complaints from local communities. Currently, all our mining sites have a complaints management procedure that complies with IFC (International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group) standards.

At SLN, a thoroughly overhauled approach to dialogue

In New Caledonia, the SLN program of proactive dialogue with local stakeholders that was launched in 2019 has continued, with a view to explaining and supporting SLN’s new model and co-constructing its community initiatives. Numerous traditional forums were held with local authorities, local residents, young people and associations. In June 2022, an agreement was signed in Houaïlou on the east coast of New Caledonia between SLN and Kunéka, an association of landowning clans in the Poro region, the main focus of mining development in this community. Some forty meetings over nine months were attended by 60 people, including 7 young people.

Contributing to local development priorities

Eramet has set itself a clear objective: to move from an approach based on minimizing and offsetting the impact of its activities to one based on partnership and community involvement. The aim is to ensure that our activities generate net benefits for local communities. Dialogue is therefore essential to collectively identify local development priorities that can be supported by community investment programs.

Eramet’s mining sites, in particular, have continued their efforts in the areas of health, community infrastructure, sport and education, but also in support of vocational training and the local economy.

Work is continuing on formulating community investment strategies at our mining sites, in order to reinforce the positive impact of the many initiatives already underway.

For example, in 2022 in New Caledonia, SLN financed the construction of the Méa temple in Kouaoua and a number of infrastructure works were completed, such as the renovation of the village’s sports facilities, benefiting around 300 people.

In Gabon, thanks to the Local Community Development Fund in partnership with the Gabonese government, and the CSR Fund financed and implemented by Comilog, the Eramet subsidiary has been actively contributing to infrastructure since 2020. In 2022, work was carried out to upgrade roads in the town of Moanda, improve access to water for local communities and install 2,000 streetlights, over 800 of them solar-powered. Setrag, for its part, has continued its health initiatives: in 2022, more than 1,000 patients benefited from a free ophthalmology consultation campaign during which 500 pairs of corrective glasses and 800 eye medicines were distributed.

In total, more than 60,000 people in Gabon have benefited from these constructive initatives.

GCO has established a social mining program with the Senegalese government as part of its mining agreement, which commits the company to making annual investments in local communities. In 2022, GCO enabled over 13,000 healthcare visits to take place in local health centers.

In Argentina, Eramine installed solar water heaters for 23 families, giving 70 people access to hot water all year round.

Breakdown of Eramet’s community investment in 2022 by type:

  • 47% Basic infrastructure for communities
  • 19% Local economic development and diversification
  • 14% Health
  • 6% Education
  • 5% Sports
  • 5% Culture and environment
  • 4% Community life

Together, the Group’s subsidiaries invested nearly 11 million euros in community projects in 2022, in Gabon, New Caledonia, Senegal, Indonesia and elsewhere, benefiting more than 127,940 people.