More than half the employees at the Ekati Diamond Mine are part of indigenous communities. The company is committed to improving opportunities in the Northwest Territories and works towards this through education and growth. Through the Ekati Plus Post-Secondary Scholarship Program,the Burgundy Diamond Mines offers two scholarships to Northern students who look to make a positive impact in their home communities. At the Ekati Diamond Mine they recognize the value of education and understand the profound impact it can have on shaping the future.

Indigenous communities in Canada have been fishing the waters of the Northwest Territories for millennia and the lakes and rivers are a precious resource. To ensure waterways are preserved, the Burgundy Diamond Mines involves local communities in its water monitoring program, bringing together elders and youth from the local communities to share this knowledge. Fish are caught, cleaned, inspected, cooked and tasted at a seasonal camp near the mine site.

Burgundy Diamond Mines has partnered with indigenous groups to develop a wildlife monitoring program to ensure minimal impact on wildlife such as Caribou. Building on engagement efforts with coastal communities, reclamation research team from Burgundy Diamond Mines is partnering with them to solutions to issues regarding plant colonialization.

The Ekati mine continues to support women in mining. Many women are employed in historically male-dominated roles such as apprentice carpenters, crane operators, machinists, millwrights, plumbers and technicians.

In 2018, Lucara launched the Karowe Village Initiative (KVI), focused on investing in and developing sustainable community-driven projects and initiatives. The Mokubilo Co-Operative Society Farm, the first KVI project, was developed in partnership with Mokubilo village. The farm is a community-owned, commercial farm designed to address malnutrition, to provide affordable and locally available vegetables, and to create employment and training opportunities. It encompasses over 25 hectares and employs 13 local people.

Last year, Lucara doubled its water recycling from 2018 and is collaborating with the diamond company Debswana on a joint project through which Lucara will share excess water from its Karowe mine with the neighboring mine, allowing to reduce its direct groundwater abstraction and to provide it to local community.

A Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) has been set in place, as legally required in collaboration with the government, in order to mitigate and manage impacts from activities such as clearing of vegetation, implementing alien species management, and establishing a nursery for the indigenous tree Acacia erioloba.

Lucara’s Naseem Lahri is the first woman ever to serve as the Managing Director of a diamond mine in Botswana, while Eira Thomas, President & CEO of Lucara Diamond Corp, is one of the few women leading a mining company globally. Lucara has significantly increased the number of women in senior leadership roles, which has more than doubled in the last year.

Petra Diamonds aims to make a valuable long-term contribution to the communities in which it operates by prioritizing the employment of local people, paying taxes and royalties, procuring local goods and services and through corporate social investment. The company has a number of initiatives in place to stimulate local socioeconomic development, including its Enterprise and Supplier Development Program which helps develop burgeoning local businesses.

Petra Diamonds aims to optimize the use of energy and water at its operations via reduction and efficiency strategies, which has seen 72% of water used at mine sites now from recycled sources. Petra Diamonds’ Williamson mine in Tanzania supplies drinking water to local communities. In 2016 at the Koffiefontein mine in South Africa, Petra refurbished an emergency water pipeline which provided much-needed water to local communities during a long period of drought.

Over half of the land owned and managed by Petra Diamonds is dedicated to nature reserves committed to protecting biodiversity, totaling 67,000-hectares in South Africa and 906 hectares in Tanzania. Petra also collaborates with local NGOs on the preservation of endangered species, such as the Secretary Bird. Petra integrates biodiversity measures into the management of its mining operations, including training of employees and adherence to biodiversity management guidelines.

Petra Diamonds is committed to supporting women in mining and has initiatives aimed at developing women into managerial positions. The company’s Women in Mining Committee provides a platform for women to share experiences, identify challenges and promote development opportunities. Petra aims to uplift community members via education and training programs. The Mwadui primary school is operated by the Williamson mine in Tanzania and provides free education to 460 students.

Rio Tinto is a founding partner of the Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Mineral Development in Canada. The center is being established to support employment and participation of indigenous communities in minerals development. A test for mining companies in the North will always be accessing a skilled labor force from such a small and widely distributed population base. To overcome this challenge, Rio Tinto has carefully built relationships with governments and local indigenous communities to focus on training and employment and created a Northwest Territories Mine Training Society. Today, almost a quarter of Diavik’s workforce is Aboriginal and 50 per cent of the team are from Northern Canada.

Diavik Diamond Mine has become a global leader in cold climate technology, proving that renewable energy works in a remote sub-arctic location. Looming one hundred meters above the flat, barren, icy landscape, Diavik’s four 9.2 megawatt wind turbines are towering evidence of the mine’s commitment to sustainability. Given the isolation of the mine site and its extremely cold climate, innovative ways were found to prevent the turbines from freezing into inaction in temperatures plummeting below minus 40 degrees.

As a guest in a very wild and precious landscape, wildlife always has the right of way at Diavik. Much work is being done to ensure that no damage is done to the water resources that provide a habitat for local wildlife, particularly caribou, whose existence is so important to the traditional lifestyles and culture of local Canadian Aboriginal people. Diavik has also collaborated on the largest grizzly bear study ever undertaken, collecting grizzly bear DNA samples over a 16,000 square kilometer area, drawing on the advice of community elders and land users.

Rio Tinto has rolled out a global policy for gender-neutral parental leave and revised its policy on inclusion and diversity to promote and foster an inclusive environment for all employees. The company is also a Founding Member of the Australian Male Champions of Change – a coalition established to elevate gender equality working with influential male leaders across fifteen groups, amounting to more than 230 leaders across Australia.

RZM Murowa recognizes the importance of community health and sanitation for socio-economic development. The company has sponsored a medical practitioner to carry out health checks in the local Zvishavane and Chivi Districts at five rural health centers. They have also recently improved the healthcare services in the Chivi District by renovating and providing electricity to the Davira Clinic.

Water is a precious resource for local farming families, especially in the arid climate experienced in Zimbabwe. RZM Murowa has constructed and rehabilitated boreholes and provided water to schools, clinics and other amenities. Under the community micro-irrigation program, RZM Murowa has been able to create additional water sources with systems designed to minimize water waste. This water supply helps facilitate flourishing market gardens and crop production in local communities.

RZM Murowa began with the future in mind by restoring biodiversity at the company’s tailings site and surroundings. The company identified protected species within and around the mine which are looked after by raising awareness on biodiversity protection, controlling land clearance, prohibiting hunting, cutting of trees and killing of animals, prevention of open fires and continual engagements with the National Parks. A nursery of indigenous trees has also been established.

In 2019, 20% of RZM Murowa employees were female against a Zimbabwean average of less than 10%. The company also has women at key and managerial positions across the business. The focus has been on training and development, consideration in the selection for internships and educational assistance. Programs such as ‘Women Thriving’ and support for women owned community enterprises have taken center stage.