Overview
Our commitment to Sustainability
During this past year, Ioneer worked diligently in implementing previously developed environmental and social responsibility plans and strategies to guide our efforts in advancing the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project in a manner befitting of our investors, employees, and stakeholders.
2022 ESG Report (Australia)
2022 ESG Report (U.S.)
Corporate Governance
Global Energy Transition
Environment
People & Community
Health & Safety
These pillars represent our core tenets which we always consider in directing our business decisions and are the touchstones we rely on to guide our actions into the future.
The Ioneer team understands that modern mineral extraction companies need to be accountable to many entities beyond those who monitor our regulatory requirements, while supporting a broader goal of being in the forefront of providing the materials needed to allow our country to transition to new, renewable sources of energy.
Detailed Sustainability and Community information can be found on the Rhyolite Ridge project website.
Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM)
As we progress the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project toward construction and operation, Ioneer is actively working to develop best-in-class sustainability practices and reporting frameworks to drive continuous improvement. To this end, Ioneer’s ESG Committee elected to adopt the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) standards administered by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) as a yardstick of environmental and social successes above and beyond our permit requirements.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Instilling a culture of excellence in corporate and operational governance has been a focal point of Ioneer in advancing the Rhyolite Ridge Project to promote our collective desire to operate responsibly, ethically, and transparently. This effort starts at the top of our organisation with Ioneer’s Board of Directors, comprised of a host of talented and successful businesspeople from a variety of industries. These professionals take their responsibilities seriously, seeking to instill this culture of excellence into their own actions as well as throughout the Ioneer organisation, resulting in a company that operates efficiently and always in consideration of the four sustainability pillars. In 2021, Ioneer fully implemented its ESG Committee to assist the Board in monitoring concerns, risks, and performance of the Company with respect to health, safety, environment, and community.
FY2022 Highlights
1. ESG Committee formalized
ESG Committee formalized to assist the Board with monitoring material issues, risks, and performance of the Company with respect to health, safety, environment, and community.
2. ESG Committee lead appointed
Ms. Rose McKinney-James named to lead the ESG Committee, providing accountability and expert leadership. Throughout her career, including her recent role as Managing Principal of Energy Works Consulting LLC and McKinney-James & Associates, Ms. McKinney-James has had the opportunity to address a variety of ESG-related challenges for similar companies.
3. TSM and Enduring Value Principles
TSM and Enduring Value Principles selected by the Board and initiated as a voluntary reporting framework to provide for a yardstick of the Company’s commitment to sustainable development.
4. Redirected focus
Redirected focus based on the requirements of TSM and Enduring Value Principles. Ioneer is focusing on improving energy efficiency in its designs, promoting environmental stewardship (particularly water and biodiversity management), and ensuring transparency in its actions through active and ongoing communication with various stakeholders.
5. Ongoing Tiehm’s Buckwheat Preservation
Ongoing study and preservation of Tiehm’s buckwheat, a proposed USFWS endangered species, through various investigations and construction planning for a greenhouse to generate additional seedlings.
6. Community Support
Ioneer continued to enthusiastically support various events and organizations in the Fish Lake Valley and surrounding areas, while providing forums for community members and others to learn more about the Project and provide input on its optimisation.
FY2023 Priorities
Target Setting
- Establish baseline carbon footprint for Rhyolite Ridge
- Develop TSM-compliant climate and decarbonization targets and goals in alignment with Ioneer’s corporate goals and objectives
- Confirm key material ESG risks and opportunities
- Identify applicable key sustainability metrics beyond TSM
- Develop specific key performance indicators (KPIs) to track performance
ESG Program Development
- Develop detailed ESG disclosure summary report to disclose targets, goals, and performance tracking measures
- Complete and implement various Action Plans to gain compliance with TSM and Enduring Value Principle requirements
Tiehm’s Buckwheat
- Continue studies to support efforts to ensure its survival
- Revise Plan of Operations to avoid the buckwheat
- Grow seedlings in Ioneer’s greenhouse to support studies and possibly transplant trials