JV Video: Cornejo, Lundin redefine mining sustainability and bold deals

Forward-facing partnerships and sustainable innovation are reshaping the mining industry’s future, Teck Resources’ (TSX: TECK.A, TECK.B; NYSE: TECK) Amparo Cornejo and Lundin Group’s Adam Lundin told an industry event in London.

Cornejo, Teck’s chief sustainability officer and The Northern Miner‘s first Operator of the Year, outlined how the Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 (QB2) copper operation in Chile—a key project for the miner that produced first concentrate in March last year—uses seawater and renewable energy to restore water rights to Indigenous communities.

“We’re building not just a mine but a new way of mining,” she told TNM’s International Metals Symposium on Dec. 1.

Cornejo joined Teck in 2014 as director of social responsibility and corporate affairs. She was vice-president, South America for a year before being named CSO in September. Cornejo has helped guide the company’s global sustainability strategy.

QB2 is to add 300,000 tonnes of copper annually to global markets while conserving water resources in Chile’s Atacama Desert. As QB2 construction ramped up from 2019, Cornejo oversaw building the desalination plant, laying water pipelines and digging a port, all during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her deals with 22 Indigenous groups ensured zero social stoppages during the pandemic. This kept the US$8.6-$8.8 billion project on track. 

Value over volume

Adam Lundin, co-recipient of Person of the Year with his brother Jack, praised the Lundin Group’s $4.8 billion deal with BHP (NYSE: BHP; LSE: BHP; ASX: BHP). He called it a “game-changer” that strengthens the company’s ability to explore and run high-margin projects.

“We’re not chasing ego milestones. It’s about value over volume,” Lundin said. He highlighted the Lundin Group’s focus on high-margin projects and sustainable growth.

In the last 20 years, the Lundin Group’s tech team found a cluster of giant copper-gold deposits in the Andes.

Lundin credited trust and collaboration as key to sealing the deal. Both leaders agreed, and said that mining’s future hinges on transparent community engagement, responsible practices and adaptive leadership.

Watch the full conversation with EY’s Metals and Mining Leader North America, Theo Yameogo.

JV videos are sponsored content in arrangement with The Northern Miner.