CEO Letter

Aris Mining is proud to be an environmentally and socially conscious mining company. We believe that successful mining in Colombia hinges on supporting the communities where we operate and on collaborating and working with local Contract Mining Partners (CMPs) in and around our operations.

Aris Mining has a dedicated ESG team with an expanded Sustainability and ESG Strategy, which is the guiding light for our operations. We remain steadfast in our commitment to leading environmental practices, responsible health and safety standards, and transparent and continuous engagement with our communities and other stakeholders. We are part of the Global Compact and report our ESG metrics under SASB standards yearly.

We have a robust social investment plan, anchored on five key drivers; education, infrastructure, economic development, environmental stewardship and gender equality and inclusion.

We firmly believe education will continue to be a key driver for development in our areas of operation. We are proud to support the La Salada school in Segovia, an 800+ student bilingual education institution, which also offers technical degrees to the communities. These students are outperforming their peers, when compared through state examinations. We will continue to expand these initiatives going forward.

On infrastructure, we have invested in hospital endowment, education infrastructure, and roadways, to address the key poverty metrics identified by the Colombian Government in Segovia, Marmato, and the Soto Norte Municipalities. This has resulted in a positive impact to more than 130,000 people in Colombia.

On economic development, we partner up with our local contract mining stakeholders to formalize mining units in Segovia, Marmato and Soto Norte. We recognize that the combination of the traditional expertise and knowledge held by our CMPs with the technological advancements, infrastructure capabilities, and access to capital of large-scale miners like us, is pivotal for the development of a new mining model in Colombia. By upholding core sustainability principles, we foster meaningful partnerships and drive sustainable mining practices that, are not only economically viable, but also environmentally regenerative and socially empowering. This has resulted in more than 40% of our total production being sourced from our CMPs.

With regards to environmental stewardship, our responsible mining practices are also evidenced by our achievements in monitoring and controlling our CO₂ emissions. Our Segovia Operations are one of the world’s top 5 mines in terms of operational efficiency, specifically in relation to CO₂ emissions per ounce of gold produced. This achievement can be attributed to a renewable energy matrix, which predominantly relies on local hydroelectric power sources, and we remain dedicated to identifying and incorporating additional renewable energy sources.

Beyond energy, our dedication to responsible resource utilization also extends to water management. Notably, we treat 100% of the domestic water withdrawn at our Segovia Operations, and a significant portion of it – 45% – is channeled back to the community, thereby providing drinking water to over 2,500 individuals. This is very significant since less than 30% of Antioquia’s rural population has access to clean water sources. Also, the water used in our industrial processes is 75% recycled, aiming to increase to 90%.

Our commitment to the environment is further demonstrated by the successful operation of our polymetallic plant at Segovia. Conceived initially as an environmentally conscious approach to processing waste material, the plant has yielded remarkable results and by extracting zinc and lead, we have substantially enhanced the quality of residual waste, while dry-stacking our tailings; thus, we have been able to implement more environmentally sound tailings disposal methods while concurrently establishing an additional revenue stream.

Finally, pertaining to gender equality and inclusion, we pride ourselves on being a part of initiatives and standards such as UN Women, WEPs, and Women In Mining. At Aris Mining we are continuously working on developing strategies to ensure equity and diversity and we are currently pursuing the “Equipares” certification, a Colombian standard that acknowledges best practices in recruitment and selection of personnel.

At Aris Mining, sustainability is a core value that drives our actions. We strive to inspire others to join us in shaping a future where responsible mining is not just a goal, but a shared reality.

Neil Woodyer, CEO