At Covia, we remain committed to advancing our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals with purpose and transparency. In 2024, our team made meaningful strides across a broad range of initiatives aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). The table above summarizes our performance against key targets, reflecting our dedication to responsible operations, positive social impact, and ethical governance. From reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving biodiversity to promoting a safe workplace and supporting our communities, each accomplishment highlights our ongoing commitment to building a more sustainable and resilient future.
| Goals | Targets | 2024 Progress |
Ensure Responsible Operations | Develop a robust Community Action Plan (CAP) at 100% of our locations to facilitate effective communication, identify areas for improvement, and best respond to community needs Implement Covia’s in-house Environmental Management System (EMS) at every site | We reached our goal of having CAPs at 100% of our facilities. These plans provide each facility with a site-specific plan for engaging the community. This approach not only fosters strong community relationships but also enhances our environmental stewardship efforts, allowing us to respond effectively to local needs and share successful strategies company wide. Our EMS program is fully implemented at 9 sites, and we are working to finalize implementation across our network. |
Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 20% from our 2021 baseline, on a per-ton basis | In 2024, we reduced our Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity by 10% compared to 2023, and by 11% compared to the baseline. |
Protect Essential Water Supply | Recycle at least 90% of water at sites in water-stressed areas and expand reporting on consumption at all facilities | Comprehensive reporting is a critical part of our water management approach, and last year we expanded water reporting efforts at 100% of our sites in water-stressed areas. We remain committed to expanding these efforts across all remaining sites. |
Preserve, Restore, and Improve Biodiversity | Improve ratio of land rehabilitated to land restored Implement conservation and biodiversity initiatives at all sites, with 50% of mining and processing sites achieving WHC certification Develop a Species-at-Risk (SAR) Plan at 100% of our mining and processing sites where at-risk species are present | At the end of 2024, our ratio of land rehabilitated to land disturbed was 1:2, compared to 1:6 in 2023. We increased land reclamation investment across many sites, most notably Menomonie, Hephzibah, and Junction City. Of our 45 sites, 20 are certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), bringing our total percentage to 44%.In 2024 we expanded implementation of conservation plans, so that 49% of our sites now have a plan in place. We developed 5 new SAR Plans in 2024, bringing our total percentage to 24%. We will continue to adopt these plans across the remaining sites in the coming years.
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Ensure Safety and Health of Our Team Members | Achieve year-over-year improvement in all-incidence rate for team members in support of our Safety value and priorities; the ultimate goal is zero injuries Achieve year-over-year reduction in the number of job positions potentially overexposed1 to respirable crystalline silica, through the Hierarchy of Controls | We continued to emphasize our commitment to safety through structured training and programs in 2024. Our all-incidence rate was to 0.89 in 2024. We compare this to the industry definition of anything below 1.0 being world- class safety performance. We continued to invest in measures and capital projects focused on improving dust control at our mining and processing sites. In 2024, the number of job positions potentially overexposed to respirable crystalline silica was 13, compared to 9 in 2023. Please see Safety, Heath, and Security section of the report for more information. |
Foster an Inclusive Culture Where Everyone Feels Valued and Engaged |
Enhance employee engagement by continuously evaluating and improving existing programs to meet evolving needs, while introducing new initiatives as necessary to foster a dynamic and supportive work environment | We launched our first Leadership EXCELeration Program, which took place in October 2024. Training hours per team member increased and we provided new content in our professional development library each month. Engagement in our biennial Employee Engagement survey increased from the 2022 baseline. We enhanced formal recognition of milestone service anniversaries by publishing feature interviews of long-tenured employees on corporate communication channels. |
Support Our Communities | Donate $10 million in funds through The Covia Foundation, which focuses on improving education, the environment, health and wellness, and social equality by supporting initiatives in the communities in which we operate Contribute 50,000 paid or personal volunteer hours in communities where we live and work | Through The Covia Foundation, we donated almost $900,000 across our communities in 2024. In total, our donations since our baseline represent 42% of our goal of $10 million in contributions by 2030. Our team members collectively volunteered 12,420 hours in 2024. In total, employee volunteer hours since our baseline year represent 84% of our goal of 50,000 hours by 2030. |
Expand Sustainable Product Offerings | Ensure 100% of our team members complete annual and continual cybersecurity training | We recorded a 93% completion rate of cybersecurity training across our team in 2024.
We issued monthly cybersecurity messages to further a culture of cybersecurity mindfulness among our team members. |
Increase Corporate Transparency | Become a signatory to the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and annually report on alignment with its principles Continue to enhance transparency through the alignment of reporting with prevailing frameworks or standards | We disclosed our annual progress report through the UN Global Compact’s Communication on Progress (CoP) platform. Our 2024 report was our second CoP report since becoming a signatory to the UNGC in September 2022. We maintained our commitment to align with prevailing frameworks or standards by aligning this report with the Sustainability Accounting Standards (SASB) framework and aligning with the UN Global Compact. We updated our Task Force on Climate-related Financial (TCFD) Report to reflect changes following the separation of our Energy business. |
Further details on these accomplishments can be found throughout Covia’s 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility report.