Listed natural resources development company Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC) has completed the inventory of its carbon emissions related to land use change, making it the first company with mining assets in the Philippines to do so.
This milestone would allow NAC to set proper targets and align its programs toward achieving its Net Zero Carbon objective by 2050 and submit these targets to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) – a global body that promotes best practices in reducing emissions anchored on climate science.
The study, conducted in partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), was commissioned by NAC to determine the carbon emissions from land use change in its nickel mining sites, specifically the following: Cagdianao Mining in Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands; Hinatuan Mining in Surigao del Norte; Rio Tuba Nickel Mining in Bataraza, Palawan; and Taganito Mining in Claver, Surigao del Norte.
Led by Dr. Florencia B. Pulhin, the research, titled ‘Carbon Emissions from Land Use Change in Nickel Mining,’ calculated the amount of carbon stored in different carbon pools, estimated the total amount of carbon stored in the forests and soils, as well as the carbon emissions of the forests and soil due to mining operations.
“I have seen the reforestation areas of NAC and I must say that they are truly serious in rehabilitating the areas they once mined,” Dr. Pulhin said.
“This initiative reflects our serious commitment towards a greener future. By partnering with UPLB – a premier academic institution – we can ensure that our baselines and targets are complete and accurate. We will continue to prove, through our operations and our programs, that responsible and sustainable mining exists,” said Jose Bayani Baylon, NAC Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer.
In line with this, NAC is also in the process of completing its Scope 3 GHG inventory, which includes emissions coming from its supply chain. It has previously completed the inventory of Scopes 1 and 2, which covers its direct and indirect emissions, respectively.
The research study by UPLB, fully funded by NAC, commenced in the last quarter of 2022 and was concluded in December of last year, taking more than two years of data collection and laboratory analysis.
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