Solaris Resources (Solaris) contracted Ausenco to provide an IFC Gap Assessment and work plan in two phases for their Warintza Project. The Warintza mine project is a potential large-scale copper and molybdenum resource in Ecuador in the province of Morona Santiago.
Considering the project’s current lifecycle and the activities necessary to meet regulatory standards and best practices, we performed a gap analysis and a work plan to continue advancing the project.
Client requirements
Ausenco was engaged to conduct a gap analysis in the initial phase, assessing the project’s current sustainability and Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) management system against the International Finance Corporation Performance Standards (IFC Standards). These IFC standards guide project development, driving the identification, mitigation, and management of environmental and social risks and impacts.
After phase one, moving towards full standard compliance for the potential future mine development stage, we provided a comprehensive work plan. This plan includes recommendations for studies and additional tasks, reviews the current work plan for preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project, and reviews location information for all associated infrastructure.
Project solutions and approach
The IFC standards encompass aspects like labour conditions, resource efficiency, pollution prevention, community health and safety, indigenous rights, cultural heritage, and biodiversity conservation. Assessing compliance with IFC standards, we reviewed policies, plans, procedures, engagement records, permitting documents and other data, comparing each item verbatim to the performance standards, identifying the level of compliance. In our thorough analysis, we identified potential areas for improvement to meet and exceed these standards and continue advancing the project.
Building upon the findings in phase one, we refined the necessary actions in a work plan for the mining development phase. This plan discussed policies, procedures and agreements, environmental and social assessments, greenhouse gas and climate actions, compliance, and resettlement actions, offering recommendations for next-step activities to meet each performance standard.
Outcomes and achievements
Our gap assessment and work plan serve as a road map for our client to enhance their systems and identify risks. Aligned with the project schedule, we assessed the natural and human environment, providing reports to ensure project progress and compliance as they navigate forward.