SHARED VALUES FOR PEOPLE & PLANET IN MINING

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It is necessary that we all conduct  ourselves in a way that provides customers and consumers with reassurances of the source of the product.
Colin Forbes
CGeneral Manager Environment & Community Affairs, Base Titanium

 

Located in Kwale County, 50km south of Mombasa, it operates Kenya’s largest mine, which was officially awarded flagship project status under Kenya’s Vision 2030 national development blueprint. Sharing on Sustainability and Inclusive Business at the Mine, Mr Colin Forbes challenged the delegates to think about all the products they use, they are either mined or grown. We all have to consider the mining as it has an impact on our lives, he said. Titanium ores, similar to the ones mined at Base Titanium are used in our day to day lives; to make teeth fillings, paint, lipstick etc.

Community Engagement
It took time to understand how the community interacts with the environment. In the years preceding the establishment of the mine, it resettled over 500 families, 67% of its 1200 employees are from the local community. The major economic activity in Kwale is farming. Most farmers are subsistence farmers. Base Titanium is working with other partners to train farmers and help them move to commercial agriculture. It also has a training program designed to benefit nonskilled workers from the community who join the company.

Environmental Management
It has invested resources to ensure that the mine does not only comply with local and international environmental management requirements but practice it and do a little more to protect the environment and rehabilitate areas that mining has closed.

Ethical Transaction
Base Titanium chooses to be open and transparent with its stakeholders.

Post Mining Planning
Base is already thinking of ways to rehabilitate areas where mining has ended. This includes e.g. post ‘income’ economy for the community and employees as well preserving the ecosystems biodiversity in a nursery for restoration purposes.