Sustainable Development
Sustainable development means meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Bear Creek Mining is committed to the principles of sustainability and recognizes the interconnectedness of economic strength, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship. All three legs of this sustainability stool – economy, society, and environment – are necessary for sustainable development to be achieved. For public companies, the glue that binds these together is good corporate governance. Hence, the concept of Environmental Social Governance, or “ESG”.
Industrial operations can be disruptive and individual mining operations don’t last forever. But they can be sustainable in that they can be developed without compromising the environment or the ability of nearby communities to maintain, or even enhance, their livelihoods and living conditions, even after a mine closes. Our goal is to limit the disruptive impacts of mineral development and mining operations while maximizing the benefits, so that the net effect of our presence and activity is positive and the future is not compromised, but brighter.
Setting the Stage
Our Corani Project is located in the high Andes of southern Peru, in the Corani District of the Carabaya Province, in the department of Puno; a sparsely populated area in a high-altitude desert. It is a remote rural location with few economic opportunities aside from the traditional occupation of the indigenous Quechuan people of the area – raising alpaca. Bear Creek and its community relations employees are deeply entrenched in the communities of Chacaconiza and Quelcaya, which are located approximately 15 km east and west, respectively, of the Corani deposit. Owing to their proximity to Corani, these two communities are, and will be, directly affected by the Company’s activities and the future Corani mine and have been the focus of the majority of the Company’s community and environmental initiatives to date. However, numerous other regional communities will be directly and indirectly impacted by the Corani mine and Bear Creek is expanding its community initiatives to address the needs of these areas as well. Learn more about our community initiatives here and our environmental stewardship practices here.