Metalla’s Commitment to ESG
“Corporate Responsibility”, “Sustainability”, “Environmental-Social-Governance”, “ESG”: We think of it as simply doing the right thing. That approach to life and to business is at the core of our corporate DNA. Each and every one of us in the Metalla organization lives by that basic approach of doing the right thing. From environmental responsibility in our personal lives to the adoption of the toughest Corporate Governance policies in the industry, and everything in between, we live and function according to the very highest standards in all aspects of corporate responsibility.
We have adopted the World Gold Council’s Responsible Gold Mining Principles as a basis for our ESG policy as these principles have been broadly adopted in the mining industry. Our business model – acquiring and holding royalties and streams on mining projects – puts us in the position of having passive interests in the projects. While we don’t have control over the operations, we still take our responsibility seriously.
Our first line of defense in the containment of ESG risks comes in our rigorous due diligence process before we make an investment decision. After we are invested, we monitor the projects in which we hold interests and the operators of those projects.
To the extent that we do have control or influence over any aspect of our business, we have exercised that control or influence to ensure compliance with our policies and principles and we will continue to maintain and further enhance a high level of Corporate Responsibility.
By publishing our policies and our commitment to ESG standards, we are adding our voice to the growing movement the mining industry toward higher standards of corporate responsibility.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Lawrence Roulston, Chairman
A Rigorous and Practical Approach to Corporate Responsibility
Message from the CEO
Further to the statement from the directors, I wish to emphasize the strong commitment of the management team and all of Metalla’s employees, consultants and advisors to supporting the highest principles of ESG at all levels, internally and within our counterparties.
As the Metalla team came together over the past four years, we brought on people with the appropriate skills and experience and built an exceptionally well-rounded team of mining industry professionals. An important consideration in building the team was that each individual, in addition to possessing the appropriate skills and experience, has the highest moral and ethical standing. As the company continues to grow, we will build out the team to add complementary skills and diversity to the team.
One of the most important functions of the management team is the identification and evaluation of investment targets, including comprehensive due diligence on all aspects of the project and the counterparty, including ESG considerations. I am proud to say that our team has performed exceptionally well in that regard. We have acquired 70 royalties and have not had to take even a single write-down since the creation of the company.
Our investment approach – acquiring existing royalties – has led to an exceptional group of counterparties. Companies like Barrick, Newmont and Pan American Silver have no need to raise money by selling a royalty to fund development. The royalties that we now hold were granted on those projects long before the current owners acquired the projects. We, and our stakeholders, can take comfort in knowing that we are dealing with some of the strongest and most ethical companies in the mining industry.
Each of our transactions has been structured in an efficient manner, legally and tax-wise. We have been able to do that without the use of complex corporate structures that might expose us unnecessarily to legal and/or tax risks.
We remain focused on maximizing shareholder returns. At the same time, we are committed to Corporate Responsibility and we carefully consider the ESG components of every investment. In addition to doing the right thing, we take a practical view of minimizing the business risks that might arise from ESG matters.
Brett Heath, CEO and Director