Sustainability is integrated throughout the management structure at the Board, executive and operational levels.

At the Board level, sustainable development matters are presented to the Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainable Development (HSESD) Committee of the Board of Directors at each quarterly Board meeting.

At the executive level, corporate oversight and implementation of the sustainable development program are the direct responsibility of the Senior Vice-President, Sustainability and the Corporate Sustainability team.

At the operational level, processes are in place to ensure that sustainable development matters, along with risk assessment and mitigation measures, are integrated into the day-to-day management of our business.

Agnico Eagle developed a series of Guiding Principles to reinforce our management approach and culture throughout the Company.

Anchored in our values

• Open and transparent communications;
• Safe production;
• Highest standards of honesty, responsibility and performance;
• Highest levels of employee engagement;
• Sharing and developing employees’ skills and expertise; and
• Maintaining our entrepreneurial skills and innovative spirit.

Based on collaboration

• Encouraging respectful open debates and healthy discussions; and
• Recognizing success resulting from both exceptional contributions and teamwork.

Clear and simple

• Simple practices based on common sense;
• Clarity on people’s roles and contributions; and
• Alignment of employees and management on our business priorities.

Our mission is to build a high-quality, easy-to-understand business; one that generates superior long-term returns for our shareholders, creates a great place to work for our employees and contributes positively to the communities in which we operate. Making mining work for all is fundamental to our company’s culture. Our business strategy is centered on three pillars: performance, pipeline, people.
For more information on our business performance see our 2019 Annual Report.

Agnico Eagle’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics outlines the standards of ethical behavior we expect from our people and those working on our behalf around the world. The Code applies to all directors, officers, employees and agents and commits them to conducting business in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations and to the highest ethical standards.

We have also adopted a Code of Business Ethics for consultants and contractors and a Supplier Code of Conduct. The Audit Committee is responsible for monitoring compliance with the adopted codes. We have established a toll-free “whistleblower” ethics hotline for anonymous reporting of any suspected violations of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, including concerns regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or other auditing matters, Code of Conduct violations, ethical conflicts, environmental issues, harassment or discrimination.

Agnico Eagle aims to conduct business in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations and the highest ethical standards. We do not tolerate bribery or corruption and we are committed to acting professionally, honorably and with integrity in all business dealings and relationships. Operations and business activities are assessed on a periodic basis to ensure that the requirements of our Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery Policy and applicable procedures and guidelines are met.

We conduct business in regions where human rights laws are respected and promoted, and we are committed to upholding fundamental human rights as defined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This includes providing assurance that our operations will not support, benefit or contribute to unlawful armed conflict, human rights abuses, or breaches of international humanitarian law. We report on overall implementation of these matters through MAC’s Towards Sustainable Mining annual progress report, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs) annual report and the World Gold Council Conflict-Free Gold Assurance Report.

As part of our Risk Management and Monitoring System (RMMS) risk assessment process, we have included a set of consequence severity criteria specific to human rights and security in our evaluation matrix.

For more information on our Diversity and Inclusion Policy, click here.

We focus on partnering with local stakeholders and industry to engage on public policy initiatives that support the sustainability of our industry and the communities in which we operate. Our priorities include initiatives related to infrastructure development in remote areas, training support, streamlining the permitting process, land use management and wildlife protection.

Due to the remote nature of our operating and exploration sites, Agnico Eagle has developed an emergency response capacity at all of our sites.

Training personnel to respond to all forms of emergencies remains a key element of our health and safety programs. Our mine rescue teams are considered amongst the best in the industry. They regularly participate in industry competitions to further develop their skills and share best practices.

These individuals contribute to safety in the workplace by being prepared to respond in the event of an emergency at any of our mine sites. Each of our mining operations has its own Emergency Response Plan and has personnel trained to respond to safety, fire or environmental emergencies. Each site also maintains appropriate response equipment.

We have established a Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) to provide us with feedback on our corporate social responsibility efforts and to complement and help us make strategic links to our existing local stakeholder engagement activities. This approach also supports our global efforts to engage with our stakeholders on a regular basis and in a meaningful way. The SAC was established in 2011 and has met in Toronto annually each fall since then.