Strategy

Climate Change and Action Strategy Statement

New Gold recognizes our role as members of society and our responsibility to address our Company’s environmental and social impacts. Tracking and reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to lessen our climate change impact are key aspects of our Sustainability Strategy, and provide important opportunities to help drive momentum for global climate action. 

Like the rest of the world, achieving our climate goals will require changes to how we operate. As we deepen our climate action plan, New Gold can be part of the global solution. We intend to continue to: 

• Align climate action and policy in line with Company activities. 
• Integrate carbon accounting software into our reporting to better monitor GHG emissions and select projects for carbon reduction. 
• Reduce our carbon footprint by focusing on energy efficiency, reducing fossil fuel energy consumption and decreasing reliance on the use of electricity generated from fossil fuels. 
• Invest in carbon reduction/low-carbon alternative projects for
  our mines. 
• Adapt to the physical impacts of climate change and incorporate forecasted climate scenarios into project design and mine
  closure planning.

Indigenous Rights Strategy Statement

Honoring the needs, beliefs, cultures and traditions of Indigenous peoples is central to New Gold’s approach to sustainability. We make every effort to understand the history and culture of Indigenous partners, knowing that the ongoing viability of our operations depends on their support. We strive to operate with the utmost respect on traditional lands, to actively promote the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples, and to consistently create positive outcomes for Indigenous communities of interest.

New Gold recognizes the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 2015 Summary Report and Calls to Action, along with the importance of aligning with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

Water Management Strategy Statement

New Gold recognizes the Alliance for Water Stewardship’s definition of water stewardship: “Good water stewards understand their own water use, catchment context and shared risk in terms of water governance, water balance, water quality and important water-related areas; and then engage in meaningful individual and collective actions that benefit people and nature.” 

Water stewardship, including water governance, water quality and water quantity, is a key part of our Sustainability Strategy and provides important opportunities to help drive momentum for global and localized water management action. New Gold operates mines in areas that are vulnerable to water deficit through increased drought and dry seasons, while also vulnerable to surplus water through flooding or operational processes. Effective management of water, water flows and protection of water quality are all imperative and relevant to our business.

New Gold understands that proactive and holistic water management strategies can create a substantial competitive advantage through reducing water-related risks, identifying opportunities, attracting investment, and building trust through improved transparency.

Tailings Management Strategy Statement

New Gold recognizes that tailings storage facilities (TSF) management is an area of interest for the public and our stakeholders. To manage the risk of any type of failure or abnormality, New Gold maintains a qualified Engineer of Record for each site to oversee our three active TSFs and one inactive TSF. The Engineer of Record oversees dam designs, reviews construction and completes dam safety and monitoring inspections. In addition, New Gold works with the Independent Tailings Review Board (ITRB) to ensure a third-party perspective reviews all aspects of tailings management, with the intent of identifying and minimizing any potential risks.

Our tailings management procedure includes:

• Assigning accountability and responsibility for tailings management at the highest levels of the Company.
• Completing alternative analyses to consider new or better technologies, such as surveillance technology. 
• Reducing risk to as low as reasonably practical. 
• Conducting frequent internal reviews of tailings facility performance and ensuring that corrective actions are implemented on schedule.
• Supporting independent review of site investigation and selection, design, construction, operation, closure and post-closure of tailings facilities.