↗ Redesign Prototype
ESG
🇺🇳
Aligned with
2030 Agenda
🌍
Partner
UNEP · IGF
🌱
Standard
ISO 14001
Environmental · Social · Governance · Circularity

Sustainable
Mining
Operations

At United Metals, our commitment to sustainable mining practices is woven into the fabric of our operations across copper, tin, and antimony extraction. We recognise the critical importance of minimising our environmental footprint, supporting local communities, and adhering to the highest standards of ESG principles — aligning our practices with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

ISO 14001 Certified
2030 Agenda Aligned
Zero-Harm Target
Land Rehabilitation
Circular Economy
Community First
Energy Reduction
60%
LED & efficient lighting vs conventional systems
EV Fleet Target
40%
Reduction in tailpipe GHG emissions via electrification
Renewables Impact
70%
GHG reduction potential via solar and wind integration
Water Treatment
30%
Energy saving via renewable-powered water treatment
Operating Countries
0+
Territories with active ESG programmes
Pillar One

Environmental
Stewardship

United Metals aims to align its mining practices with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, focusing on sustainable consumption and production. Our environmental programme spans governance reform, land restoration, biodiversity protection, and active mitigation of mining's ecological footprint.

Governance
Environmentally Sustainable Management
United Metals aligns its mining practices with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, focusing on sustainable consumption and production across all operational territories. We actively collaborate with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) to enhance environmental governance.
UNEP collaboration on environmental governance frameworks
IGF partnership for responsible minerals development
SDG alignment across all 7 operating territories
ISO 14001 environmental management certification
01
Impact Mitigation
Reducing Environmental Impact
Mining activities carry the potential for ecosystem disruption and the release of heavy metals into surrounding environments. United Metals is focused on mitigating these impacts through responsible extraction methods and cleaner production techniques — from dust suppression and effluent capture to real-time environmental monitoring at each operational site.
Responsible extraction methods for all ore types
Cleaner production techniques across smelting operations
Real-time emissions and effluent monitoring
Mercury capture systems in antimony processing
02
Land Restoration
Land Rehabilitation
Comprehensive land rehabilitation programmes are a core operational obligation at United Metals — not a post-closure afterthought. We implement progressive rehabilitation of mined areas concurrent with active operations, reclaiming and restoring degraded sites to productive, ecologically viable land. Rehabilitation performance is independently verified and reported.
Progressive rehabilitation during active operations
Native species replanting and soil restoration
Post-closure long-term monitoring programmes
Independent verification of rehabilitation outcomes
03
Ecosystem Protection
Biodiversity Protection
United Metals is dedicated to protecting biodiversity in the regions where it operates — including ecologically sensitive areas of the Central and Southern African Copperbelt, the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe, and river catchments in Tanzania and Sierra Leone. We implement biodiversity offsetting, buffer zones, and habitat monitoring to minimise negative impacts on local ecosystems.
Pre-disturbance ecological baseline surveys
Protected buffer zones around sensitive habitats
Biodiversity offset programmes in each territory
Ongoing ecosystem monitoring and reporting
04
We mine the earth to power human progress — and we are accountable for every acre we disturb, every stream we cross, and every community we enter. Sustainability is not a strategy. It is the condition of our licence to operate.
United Metals — ESG Commitment Statement
Pillar Two

Resource Efficiency
& Circularity

Embracing circular economy principles is essential for minimising waste and maximising resource utilisation. Our efforts range from recovering metals from reprocessed tailings to implementing advanced energy-efficiency technologies across every process stage.

01
Energy
Energy Consumption Reduction
A key focus area for United Metals is reducing energy consumption across all operations. We adopt advanced technologies and energy-efficient practices — including variable frequency drives, LED lighting, process automation, and heat recovery systems — to lower our carbon footprint while simultaneously reducing operating costs. Every percentage point of energy reduction is a permanent competitive advantage and an environmental benefit.
02
Resources
Sustainable Use of Resources
We are committed to responsible resource management — promoting efficient practices that reduce waste generation at source. This includes improving recovery rates through precision reagent dosing, closed-loop water circuits, and real-time process analytics that identify and eliminate inefficiencies before they result in resource loss. Our target is to maximise the metal recovered per tonne of ore disturbed.
03
Circularity
Circular Economy in Action
Embracing circular economy principles, United Metals reprocesses tailings and waste materials to extract residual valuable metals — converting environmental liabilities into production assets. Historically uneconomical waste stockpiles are re-evaluated using modern beneficiation techniques, recovering metals that earlier generations of technology left behind. This contributes to a more sustainable and economically efficient mining cycle.
Circular Economy Loop
EXTRACTION PROCESS REFINING RECLAIM
Zero
Waste
Goal
60%
LED lighting energy reduction target
100%
Tailings reviewed for reprocessing potential
30%
Water treatment energy savings via renewables
70%
GHG reduction via solar & wind integration
Pillar Three

Community Engagement
& Economic Development

United Metals believes in fostering strong, enduring relationships with local communities. We engage in genuine dialogue with stakeholders to ensure our operations benefit those who are directly impacted by our activities — aligning our operational goals with their needs and long-term aspirations.

Our community engagement model goes beyond transactional corporate social responsibility. It is built on the conviction that mining operations can and should be engines of local economic development — generating employment, transferring skills, investing in infrastructure, and building institutional capacity that outlasts the mine's operational life.

Across our seven operating territories, we conduct regular community needs assessments, maintain open community liaison offices, and ring-fence a portion of revenues specifically for local development investment. Community investment plans are co-created with local representatives — not imposed from above.

Recognising the rich knowledge of Indigenous communities regarding land stewardship, we actively seek partnerships that respect their rights and traditions. Collaborating with these communities not only enhances our social licence to operate but also enriches our sustainability initiatives with perspectives that no external environmental consultant can replicate.

Framework Alignments & Partnerships
UN
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Operations aligned with SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
UNEP
UN Environment Programme
Collaboration to enhance environmental governance in the mining sector — adopting cleaner production guidelines and environmental performance benchmarks.
IGF
Intergovernmental Forum on Mining
Partnership with IGF's Mining Policy Framework — supporting host governments in developing responsible mineral sector governance and maximising local value capture.
Social Investment 01
Supporting Local Communities
United Metals engages in genuine dialogue with stakeholders to ensure our operations benefit those directly impacted by our activities. We align our operational goals with community needs through employment prioritisation, infrastructure investment, education support, and healthcare access — creating a lasting economic legacy that extends beyond the mine's operational life.
Social Investment 02
Indigenous Partnerships
We actively seek partnerships with Indigenous communities that respect their rights and land stewardship traditions. Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) governs all decisions that affect Indigenous lands or resources. These collaborations enrich our sustainability initiatives with ecological knowledge accumulated over generations — creating mutual benefit rather than one-directional extraction.
Community Investment
What We Invest In
Employment & skills development programmes
School infrastructure & education funding
Healthcare facilities & medical outreach
Youth development & sports infrastructure
Road and utilities infrastructure investment
Small business and supplier development
Energy Leadership

Best Practices for
Energy Reduction

To reduce energy consumption in mining operations, United Metals deploys a structured framework spanning strategic management planning, equipment and technology upgrades, and continuous process optimisation — across all operational stages from extraction to finished metal.

⚙ Energy Management
⚡ Equipment & Technology
🔄 Process Optimisation
Create a Strategic Energy Plan
Develop a long-term energy reduction plan with defined targets, measurable milestones, and consistent evaluation against planned objectives. Energy strategy is embedded in operational planning from the outset — not retrofitted as an afterthought. Our energy plans are reviewed quarterly and updated annually alongside production planning cycles.
Measure Energy Consumption
Track daily energy consumption of all equipment with loads greater than 50 kW to identify reasons for consumption spikes and potential reductions. Real-time metering data is fed into our process analytics platform, enabling immediate identification of energy anomalies and enabling rapid corrective action before inefficiencies compound.
Challenge Work Methods
Systematically brainstorm with engineers, workers, and supervisors to challenge existing work methods and identify unique ideas for energy reduction. Front-line operators often identify the most impactful efficiency opportunities — our Kaizen culture ensures these insights reach operational planning and are properly resourced for implementation.
Choose an Energy Management Strategy
Select and deploy a strategy that leverages systems designed to use less energy — deploying motor controls, ventilation controls, and process optimisation tools. Our strategy is differentiated by site and process type: underground mines prioritise ventilation on demand (VOD) systems, while open-pit operations focus on haul road optimisation and equipment right-sizing.
LED Lighting Solutions
Implement LED lighting solutions across surface facilities, underground workings, and processing plants. LED systems reduce energy consumption by up to 60% compared to conventional high-pressure sodium or metal halide installations — delivering significant OpEx savings with rapid payback periods typically under 18 months.
Up to 60% energy reduction
Electric Machinery Upgrade
Transition to electric-powered trucks, loaders, and excavators to eliminate tailpipe emissions — reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40%. Battery-electric and trolley-assist systems are being deployed progressively across our open-pit and underground operations, particularly where renewable electricity is available.
Up to 40% GHG reduction
Renewable Energy Integration
Implement sustainable energy sources — solar and wind power — across surface operations and processing facilities. Renewable integration can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70%, and in remote African operations often replaces expensive diesel generation entirely. On-site solar PV at processing plants provides base-load power at significantly lower cost.
Up to 70% GHG reduction
Renewable-Powered Water Treatment
Install renewable energy-powered water treatment systems to conserve water resources and minimise water pollution, reducing energy consumption by up to 30%. Process water recycling — powered by solar or wind — closes the water loop, reducing both freshwater draw and effluent discharge simultaneously.
Up to 30% energy reduction
Optimise Ventilation Systems
Regularly clean impellers and fan blades to avoid pressure loss and ensure ventilation system capacity precisely matches operational requirements. Ventilation on Demand (VOD) systems — which modulate airflow based on real-time occupancy and equipment activity — typically reduce underground ventilation power costs by 25–40%. In deep underground mines, ventilation is often the single largest energy consumer, making VOD investment highly impactful.
Efficient Blast Operations
Improve energy efficiency and mining productivity through precision blast design. Smart blasting — optimising blast patterns, timing, and explosive energy — produces better fragment size distributions, reducing the energy required for downstream primary crushing and grinding. Ore sorting at the blast hole further reduces the mass of material processed through energy-intensive circuits.
Optimise Ore Processing
Separate low-grade ore and waste rock early in the processing stream to reduce the mass of material requiring energy-intensive grinding and flotation. Pre-concentration using ore sorting, dense media separation, or gravity circuits removes the gangue before it reaches the mill — dramatically reducing kWh per tonne of concentrate produced. Energy-efficient High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) replace conventional SAG/ball mill circuits where applicable.
Monitor Compressors & Ventilation Power
Measure power consumed in compressor usage and ventilation continuously. Shift compressors physically closer to the load to reduce line loss and leakage — compressed air distribution losses of 20–30% are common in legacy underground systems and represent significant recoverable energy. Automated leak detection programmes, combined with localised compressor deployment, can recover this loss without capital-intensive repiping. Variable speed compressors further match output precisely to instantaneous demand, eliminating wasteful unloaded running.
Our Commitment

Leading the Way in
Sustainable Mining

United Metals is dedicated to leading the way in sustainable mining by integrating innovative practices that protect the environment, support local economies, and promote social responsibility. Our commitment reflects a broader vision of creating a sustainable future for all stakeholders involved in the mining sector — from the communities living on the land we mine to the industries that depend on the metals we produce.

As the world's need for critical and base metals grows with the energy transition, so does our obligation to extract and refine them responsibly. That obligation is not negotiable.

Minerals We Process