Mining and Nature: Finding the Balance
Mining transforms landscapes. Open pits reshape mountainsides, tailings facilities create new landforms, and roads and infrastructure fragment habitats. Yet mining is also essential β the metals it produces are the building blocks of modern civilisation and the energy transition. The challenge is to extract these metals while minimising ecological impact and, wherever possible, leaving the land in a condition that supports thriving ecosystems for generations to come.
Teck Resources has embraced this challenge with a bold, nature-positive commitment: to conserve three hectares of land for every one hectare disturbed by mining activity. This target, among the most ambitious in the global mining industry, reflects our conviction that responsible mining and biodiversity conservation are not only compatible but mutually reinforcing.
Our Biodiversity Framework
Teck's biodiversity strategy is guided by the mitigation hierarchy β a globally recognised framework that prioritises avoiding impacts first, minimising those that cannot be avoided, rehabilitating affected areas, and offsetting residual impacts through conservation actions elsewhere. Each of our operations maintains a site-specific biodiversity management plan developed in consultation with ecologists, Indigenous communities, and regulatory agencies.
- Avoidance β During mine planning, we identify and avoid high-value ecological areas, including critical habitats, wetlands, and wildlife corridors.
- Minimisation β Operational practices such as progressive reclamation, noise management, and wildlife-friendly fencing reduce ongoing impacts to surrounding ecosystems.
- Rehabilitation β Disturbed lands are reclaimed with native vegetation, topsoil replacement, and habitat features designed to support local wildlife species.
- Offsets β Where residual impacts remain, Teck invests in conservation projects that protect or restore equivalent or greater ecological value in the surrounding landscape.
Progressive Reclamation in Action
Progressive reclamation β the practice of rehabilitating mined areas while operations are still ongoing β is a cornerstone of Teck's environmental strategy. Rather than waiting until a mine closes to begin restoration, we reclaim land continuously throughout the mine life, reducing the total disturbed footprint at any given time and accelerating ecological recovery.
At Highland Valley Copper, more than 3,000 hectares of previously disturbed land have been reclaimed with native grasslands, shrubs, and trees. These reclaimed areas now support populations of mule deer, bighorn sheep, raptors, and a wide range of grassland bird species. Long-term ecological monitoring confirms that reclaimed habitats at Highland Valley are approaching the biodiversity levels of adjacent undisturbed landscapes.
Mine Closure Excellence: Lessons from Sullivan Mine
The Sullivan Mine in Kimberley, British Columbia, was one of the world's largest underground lead-zinc mines, operating from 1909 to 2001. When the mine closed, Teck undertook one of the most comprehensive mine-closure programmes in Canadian history, transforming the former industrial site into a thriving community amenity.
Today, the former Sullivan Mine site includes a championship golf course, a destination ski resort, constructed wetlands that treat residual mine drainage, and restored riparian habitats along Mark Creek. Fish populations, including native trout species, have returned to waterways that were heavily impacted during the mine's operational years. The Sullivan closure is widely regarded as a global benchmark for mine-closure excellence and has informed Teck's approach to closure planning at its active operations.
Conservation Partnerships
Teck cannot achieve its nature-positive goals alone. We partner with leading conservation organisations, universities, and Indigenous communities to design and implement biodiversity projects that deliver lasting ecological outcomes. Key partnerships include collaborations with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited, and regional land trusts focused on protecting critical habitats in British Columbia, Alberta, and the Yukon.
Our conservation investments have protected over 11,000 hectares of ecologically significant land, including old-growth forests, wetlands, grasslands, and alpine meadows. These conservation areas serve as refugia for species at risk, corridors for wildlife movement, and demonstration sites for the integration of Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary conservation science.
Monitoring, Measurement, and Accountability
Biodiversity outcomes are inherently complex and long-term. Teck invests in rigorous, multi-year ecological monitoring programmes to track the recovery of reclaimed lands, the health of aquatic ecosystems, and the effectiveness of conservation offsets. We use remote sensing, environmental DNA sampling, camera trapping, and traditional ecological surveys to build a comprehensive picture of biodiversity performance across our operations.
We report our biodiversity performance annually through our sustainability report and are committed to aligning our disclosures with the emerging Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures framework. Transparency and accountability are essential β our stakeholders deserve to see not just our commitments but our results.
A Legacy of Healthy Landscapes
Every mine eventually closes. The true measure of a mining company's environmental responsibility is the condition of the land it leaves behind. At Teck Resources, we are working every day to ensure that our legacy is one of healthy, biodiverse landscapes that serve communities, wildlife, and ecosystems for generations to come. Our nature-positive commitment is not just a target β it is a promise to the land and the people who depend on it.