We embrace the Sustainable Development Goals of UN (https://sdgs.un.org/goals), making emphasis on the following areas
We embrace the Sustainable Development Goals of UN (https://sdgs.un.org/goals), making emphasis on the following areas
During the last 5 years of hard work, we have created a high quality, well trained team, with values based on transparency, equality, respect and commitment. We believe that our sustainable strategy is what help us achieve our project goals.
OUR FOCUS
Team Health
and Safety
Environmental Stewardship
Social Responsability and Community
Gobernance and Economic
SDGs #3 (good health and well-being)Our sustainability mandate puts people and their safety at the top of our priorities. We look after our employees and the communities we are involved with. Even when activities have a certain inherent risk, we aim to control and mitigate any potential harm from it.
We believe in the strength of continuos Safety and Security education and training. We report daily and establish the mechanisms to control outcomes. We seek independent external experts and support.
We believe all of these to be key aspects to maintaining our people in good health and create a safe workplace.
It's important that staff are able to remain alert, are able to spot any hazards and understand how to appropiately deal with these situations in order to avoid any issues. We believe our employees should also be able to safety be aware of their physical state, to look after themselves and their teams.
We provide the tools so people can take the responsability
| Liex S.A. / 3Q Project - FIambalá | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours of SyH training | 274 | 399 | 611 |
| Avernage por person | 3,81 | 5,54 | 8,96 |
We have our proper nurse team, that completes full 24hs assistance on site, Equipped by a modern ambulance, also property of the company. As well as medical assistance for our employees, the medical team, realizes check-in and check-out register to all visitors and external contractors.
Nurse assistance is also granted at our Pilot Plant
SDGs #13 (action for the climate)Our goal is to create a low environmental impact business, with high social and economic growth. Our approach is to deliver benefits to the company and the communities we interact with. Our company only exists within an environment which we must protect and preserve for the future.
SDGs #7 (affordable and clean energy)The Argentinian Northwest is one of the forth places with the highest potential for solar power generation in the World, which positions the country as the planet's second largest solar reserve.
We aim to utilize the technology available to us to achieve our objectives, using clean energy to supply the electrical consumption in our camp and creating a low consumption design for our future plant.
In the future, our project will rely on Solar power for the majority of the energy required to run the plant.
SDGs #12 (responsible consumption and production)Sustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. Its implementation helps to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty. The team at 3Q is always on the look out to promote responsible consumption and production in our project and with the community we live in.
As an example our initiative to train local artisans in the uses of leather has avoided most of that material going to waste. We have selected a small village, quite distant from a developed infrastructure, where people depend on local plants to provide their day to day food and on few tourists that visit the beautiful landscape, for some income. We hired local handcrafters to teach them how to use the skin of the animals to make beautiful leather goods and sell them. The workshop was attended by 16 people, witch lives have been transformed in a week.
Our processing engineers have run several R&D projects resulting in the reduction of chemicals utilisation and water consumption. We continue to look for ways of saving energy, reduce waste, recycle, re-use.
SDGs #13 Climate actionWe responsible manage the land and the biodiversity in it. We aim to protect all ecosystems around our project and have a firm commitment to avoid impacts to them. We respect legally protected areas and commit to avoid areas that even though may not be legally protected are considered meaningful by our engineers and scientists.
Base line reports were prepared in summer 2017 to register all aspects of our environment. Our team realizes 2 times a year (March and September) a complete check of the same measured aspects, to ensure the correct manage.
Environmental Reports Access to all environmental reports, created after the discovery and during the whole exploring process (colocar link liex.com.ar con acceso a los reporeys)
Permanent Environmental Monitoring – part of our Sustainable plan is to keep track on every natural asset that we may affect, so we stand up with free and transparent access to all information (colocar link liex.com.ar con acceso a los reporeys)
SDGs #6 (Clean water and sanitation)Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, to protect the hydrosphere, and to meet the current and future human demand. Factors such as climate change have increased pressures on natural water resources especially in manufacturing and agricultural irrigation. We have a responsibility to effectively manage our interactions and minimise impacts on water resources. Our 3Q project team is committed to responsible use of this resource. Much of our research has been oriented to water preservation and to make sure we avoid any impact to this natural resource. Our team is working to create an innovated system for water reuse on our producing plant. The process of Lithium Carbonate production naturally must recirculate and/or reuse 50% of the total process water. This means that this water is used in the preparation of reagents and internal recirculation in the chemical plant.
Our engineers are designing a system by which we treat all of the industrial water waste and recover at least 90% to be reused. Our aim is to reuse between recirculation and water treatment, approximately 64% of the total process water. The rest of the water is discarded in collection ponds where it evaporates naturally into the environment.
The company has all the necessary permits to extract the water required to complete the processing nearby Fiambalá.
We work in a region where water is a precious resource. In September 2019 we built and donated a waterhole to cover the future needs of Fiambalá city. The project was initiated by the Municipality of Fiambalá and 100% funded financed by our company. With its 120m of depth the waterhole will provide 50 m3/hour of clean fresh water to the community.
We involved the communities with our project from the beginning. The 3Q project is known to be the people’s project. We aim to have a positive impact in the communities that surround us, we see them as a social partner we share efforts and successes with. Our efforts are evidenced by:
Our own Processing team (of which several are locally hired employes) leads the permanent Pilot Plant tour, having more than 190 people visited the plant since 2019 until the date.
(live and online), for the community as well as our own employees
| Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Until March 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workshops | 10 | 9 | 8 | 2 |
| Participants | 193 | 326 | 300 | 56 |
Our company prior politic is to hire local.
Our company is present in all sports and cultural events, organized by the local community and the municipality.
Since 2018 we have sponsored Fernando Quiroga, a local marathon runner, who achieved incredible results in each competition that he took part. His dream was to have his own Running school and prepare children from Fiambalá, to follow his example.
Early during 2020, our company financed the “Running clinic” lead by Fernando. Now he teaches 20 kids that, will continue growing as professional runners.
One of the programs donated 281 kilos of alfalfa seeds to more than 100 local producers from a small town 50 km up north from Fiambalá, planting a future for their own economic growth. The program also includes support, education and training to ensure the full benefit of the effort into the community.
We understand that our most important partnership is with the local community, this is why we have worked to create this strong relationship since day 1.
The Board and the Management teams are collectively responsible for the governance of the Company and for promoting its success. The Board delegates to management the responsibility for implementing the Company’s objectives and the day-to-day management of the Company, subject to certain limitations on such delegations. The limitations are primarily imposed by approved corporate budgets and corporate strategy which are set by the Board.
The Company is committed to ensuring that the Board, senior management and all employees always act with integrity when interacting with each other and all other key stakeholders. The Company will not make or accept any unethical financial inducement that would result in the Company, or an individual, gaining an improper advantage. Unethical financial inducements include bribe, kickbacks and other dealings of an unethical nature.
The Company’s objective is to have a workforce that is representative of the countries and communities in which it operates. Our workforce is employed based on the right person for the right job regardless of their gender, age, nationality, race, religious beliefs, cultural background, sexuality or physical ability. The Company is committed to increasing diversity amongst its employees as it grows, not just in relation to gender diversity, but in its operations in consultation with local community groups and advisors.
Our people are committed to acting within the law, regulations and values of the communities we interact with. Integrity is, undoubtedly, one of the core values of any person. We aim to do the right thing even when no one is looking. As a company we value honesty, responsibility, self-awareness and self-discipline.
