In 2024, we laid the foundation for many of the initiatives currently in progress for managing our negative impact and risks associated with failing to respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights and ensuring FPIC in our own operations. We began by developing a global guidance for social and human rights impact assessments, which will allow us to proactively manage these risks and impacts before the construction of new projects.

Furthermore, we finalised our internal guidelines for free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), a framework designed to ensure respectful and transparent engagement with Indigenous communities. These guidelines guarantee that we secure consent from Indigenous communities before initiating projects that might impact their lands or cultural heritage.

It is our responsibility to ensure that affected communities, whether directly or indirectly impacted, are considered, and that their voices are integrated into the project planning. Depending on the specific context of the project, we engage either directly with affected communities, their legitimate representatives, or credible proxies, such as local NGOs or government representatives, to gain insights into their needs and concerns.