Ecological impacts

Safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems during mining activities and during the development and operation of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) projects in protected Natura areas, according to the main axes of the MYTILINEOS Environmental policy.

Ineffective prevention of negative impacts on the flora and fauna in the wider area of the Company’s activities would lead to environmental degradation, raising issues of non-compliance with the applicable legislation. In such a case, the consequences for the Company would include the disruption of business development and growth, due to the impact on its reputation and financial position.

MYTILINEOS implements targeted actions for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems in the areas where it operates or adjacent to them and wherever there are endangered or protected species of flora and fauna.

• In the Metallurgy Business Unit, the Aluminium of Greece plant has established a series of prevention and control measures to prevent impacts to the natural recipients, thus safeguarding their quality and, consequently, the conditions for the growth of the local flora and fauna. In addition, the Aluminum plant carries out restorations of the inactive surfaces of the Bauxite Waste Disposal Sites and Aggregate Waste Disposal Sites, while it has assigned to a specialized external partner the maintenance of the new and old restored waste disposal sites (e.g., old restored hazardous waste disposal landfill, inert waste disposal sites and limestone quarry). The preventive measures will be presented in detail in the 2021 Sustainable Development Report.

• The mining activity of DELPHI-DISTOMON, a MYTILINEOS subsidiary, involves primarily underground quarries and is carried out with respect to the biodiversity of the area. The Company has developed an environmental policy that highlights its commitment to the protection of biodiversity in the preparatory phase of each new mining activity. In addition, the policy prescribes the implementation of measures to avoid significant ecological impacts and the alteration of the natural landscape during the execution of works, as well as in the closure and rehabilitation phase of each site, helping to further contain any adverse impacts, which are already quite limited in scope and temporary in nature. DELPHI-DISTOMON has been systematically active for almost 50 years in environmental rehabilitation and all its inactive quarries have been restored. Environmental remediation is carried out with systematic tree planting.

• In the Power & Gas Business Unit and with respect to the activities which concern the construction of wind farms located near or inside areas designated as Special Protection Areas[1]^, a key prerequisite is the development of the respective foreseen environmental impact studies (specific ecological assessment, annual monitoring of the protected area), to confirm that there are no impacts or, in cases where there are impacts, to describe the measures which may be adopted in order for these impacts to be avoided. In cases where measures cannot be taken, the project is redesigned appropriately. In line with the above, in the locations of the Company’s activities the movement of animals is not obstructed as there is no fencing, and the disturbance to the local population of birds is negligible, while where this is necessary, technical systems for the protection of birds are installed. Furthermore, concerning the restoration of the environment in the context of new wind farms, the Company carries out reforestation equal to the area of intervention as required and, where possible, restores illegal or inactive quarries, in accordance with the applicable laws and the instructions of the corresponding Forest Departments.

2 The Sustainable Development Report 2021 outlines the limited impacts of the construction and operation of the Company's wind farms, located in protected areas (e.g., NATURA 2000 Network and Archaeological sites).

• ISO 14001:2015
• GRI Standards
• SASB Standards
• UN Global Compact