Leadership Insights:
Adapting to Climate Change

“We know that it’s important to look at climate change from multiple perspectives and to integrate climate solutions in a way that allows us to create a nature positive future.”

Briana Gunn
Group Executive, Environment

Briana Gunn, Group Executive, Environment, discusses how the transition to decarbonization will pose challenges to our workforces and surrounding communities. She also shares her thoughts on how planning and implementing decarbonization and adaptation measures requires understanding areas of interaction (power, infrastructure and land) as well as the potential beneficial and negative effects on people and the environment.

What does it mean to manage risk and adapt to the impacts of climate change?

Climate change is occurring and it is having an impact on people, world health and wellness. There is an interaction with nature and an interaction overall in terms of shared resources with people. That’s food, water security and more — basically all the resources that people need to live. The risk climate change presents, and the world’s need to decarbonize, also has to be addressed with respect to the direct impact it’s having on how people live and engage with the environment, as well as how species and ecosystems live and engage with the environment. Newmont’s purpose is to create value, and value comes in many different forms. So, in addressing climate change, it’s not just the monetary value, it’s also the value of sustaining the planet, sustaining people’s lives, understanding impacts of addressing climate change, and making sure that you leave a situation better than you found it.

How do you involve stakeholders in the discussion around decarbonization and adaptation?

We work with multiple stakeholders, including shareholders, local communities, NGOs, governments and other industries to get an understanding of on the ground context. We know we’re working in host communities that may not be at the same level of economic development as North America or other developed countries. In those cases, we cannot go into an area thinking it’s more important to do conservation work than it is to support local needs (i.e. agricultural development). We have to take into consideration that people may be using that land for food, water and other resources that they need.

How does Newmont incorporate risk management and resiliency into our climate strategy?

Newmont recognizes that you must consider and implement mitigation and adaptation together, and that starts with understanding risk and building adaptations and resiliency into our operations, working in collaboration with host communities. Newmont recognizes that climate change is not the only area that we need to focus on. We know that it’s important to look at climate change from multiple perspectives and to integrate climate solutions in a way that allows us to create a nature-positive future.