Environment

Centerra is committed to protecting the natural environment and minimizing adverse environmental impacts caused by its operations or activities. This commitment extends from exploration to construction, through operations and into post-closure.

Our operating sites have implemented or are working steadily toward implementing an ISO 14001–aligned environmental management system (EMS). Each site-specific EMS has been designed to include scheduled monitoring, engineering, administrative controls, and reporting on focus areas that include water, waste and hazardous materials, biodiversity, air quality, tailings management, energy and emissions, and reclamation.

Each site’s activities and focus areas are determined by:

1. Findings of third-party environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) or environmental impact assessments (EIAs)
2. Environmental requirements set out by financiers like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
3. Internal identification of significant environmental aspects (SEAs) that are required to meet our regulatory compliance and environmental performance objectives
4. International standards and frameworks Centerra has adopted, including the World Gold Council’s Responsible Gold Mining Principles and the International Cyanide Management Code (ICMI), as well as standards we broadly seek to align with, such as those set out by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM)

Our environmental focus areas are:

• Waste, Hazardous Materials and Air Pollution
• GHG Emissions and Energy
• Water Stewardship
• Biodiversity
• Mine Closure and Reclamation

Our commitment to respecting the environment extends to respecting cultural heritage. Guided by our Chance Find Procedure, our teams understand the steps that must be taken immediately should our activities uncover potential objects of cultural heritage, including isolating the area and communicating with appropriate government agencies, Indigenous groups, and local and traditional leaders, in order to minimize any further disturbance and protect the area.

Centerra looks to optimize its use of natural resources and to use energy efficiently. We apply reduce, reuse and recycling concepts in our plans and practices related to managing emissions, releases and wastes.

We work to reduce our impact on the environment by adopting the best available technologies economically achievable (BATEA), focusing on automation and on collaborating proactively with key stakeholders, regulators and local and Indigenous communities.

Every Centerra site is committed to continuous improvement. Through environmental performance evaluations, audit programs, inspections, management reviews, and the tracking of key performance indicators, we are able to continuously improve our performance and align ourselves with good international industry practices.