2007 Full Report - Kinross Gold

A letter from Tye BurtPresident and Chief Executive OfficerThe publication of our first corporate responsibility report is a milestonefor Kinross. The report reflects our belief that transparency is keyto building mutually beneficial relationships with our stakeholders,an essential element in maintaining our social license to operate.As one of the world’s major gold producers, we know that our mineral endowmententails great responsibility. We understand that we have both a moral and a businessimperative to be a good neighbour not only in the communities where we operate, butalso in responding to global challenges – such as protecting the environment – thatcross all borders and affect people everywhere.Corporate responsibility is not a function that resides on the fringes of our organization.It is a priority at the core of our strategic direction and one that informs all of our operatingpolicies, our reward and recognition programs, and everything in our culture that shapesattitudes and determines actions. Our commitment to corporate responsibility, and ourcommitment to profitability and shareholder value, are mutually reinforcing.Strategic PrioritiesWe pride ourselves on being skilled, responsible operators, who strive not only to meet,but to exceed, regulatory requirements for health and safety, and environmentalperformance, wherever we operate.Our chief priority is to ensure the safety of our people, the only acceptable goal beingto reduce our injury rate to zero across our operations.No one can dispute that mining has an impact on the environment. At Kinross, our goalis to minimize that impact and continually improve our environmental performanceregarding air quality, water management, land use and reclamation, and biodiversity. Inour energy-intensive industry, key priorities for Kinross include energy conservation andexploring potential applications of alternative energy.We value our reputation as an ethical employer and we are committed to best practicesin corporate governance, labour relations and human rights.We aim to attract and retain the best talent in our industry with a challenging workenvironment, excellent compensation and benefits, and rewarding opportunities forcareer development. Our strong commitment to corporate responsibility is another keyto attracting the people we want to work for Kinross.TYE W. BURTPresident and Chief Executive OfficerOur CorporateResponsibility PrinciplesOur vision of corporateresponsibility is based onTen Guiding Principles forCorporate Responsibility(see page 10), whicharticulate a clear standardfor defining our relationshipswith employees, partners,governments and thecommunities affectedby our operations.These principles, approvedby the company in 2007,are grounded in practicalexperience and focuson critical areas like healthand safety, corporate ethicsand governance, andenvironmental stewardship.As we pursue our growthobjectives, they will guideour strategies andbusiness plans.Page 03 Kinross 2007 corporate responsibility report