We recognise that we have a responsibility to protect local biodiversity and ecosystems in the environments where we work.
Our greenfield iron ore project in Baffin Island, Canada, has developed extensive baseline information for numerous ecosystems including terrestrial, marine and freshwater as part of the environmental assessment process. Management and monitoring plans have been developed to ensure our future operations avoid or minimise potential impacts on biodiversity and the environment. In the development of our research initiatives we have integrated the value Inuit and the territory of Nunavut place on the local ecosystems. For example, Baffinland Iron Mines has provided support for satellite tracking of Caribou and Eider Ducks in collaboration with territorial and federal government departments. Communities in the regions and government have been, and will continue to be, engaged at all stages of the environmental assessment process.
The Nimba mountain region of Liberia contains one of west Africa’s last wet-zone forests. Such forests typically play host to many unique species and ecosystems but in this case the area had not previously been the subject of an ecological study. Therefore ArcelorMittal set out to perform a large, year-long study with a large team of specialists from Liberia and neighbouring countries. The results of this indicated that there was indeed a high level of biodiversity in the forest, but this was already under threat as a result of logging, agriculture and previous mining operations. To tackle this and help reverse the trend a local stakeholder group was established. This group works to develop shared plans for the management of the forests which are set to be implemented over a 15 year management period.