Tim Bekhuys

Director, Blackwater Project, New Gold

New Gold’s New Afton Mine in BC became one of the first mines in North America to certify under the new ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard. This led to 11% energy savings in 2014 and the integration of sustainability into full mine life cycle decision processes.  This includes developing social closure plans for end of life assets to promote SME development and having one of the highest percentages (23%) of Aboriginal persons employed in mining operations in Canada.  New Gold also became a signatory to the “Towards Sustainable Mining” initiative of the Mining Association of Canada and adopted aspects of the Alliance for Water Stewardship Standard and last year cut water use by 6%