The Anglo Swiss mining giant Glencore is infamous for its history of bribery, environmental harm and irresponsible business practices. Now that it has been granted permission to expand its presence in Canada by taking ownership of four huge coal mines, our new report (written with MiningWatch Canada and ASK) examines Glencore’s dismal track record on human rights, environmental protections, climate, and corruption. Our conclusion? This is a Bad Deal for Canada.
Some key takeaways from the report include:
After recently purchasing coal assets from BHP, Rio Tinto, and others, Glencore is now the world’s largest private-sector coal company. In 2023 its carbon emissions represented 1.1% of the world’s total, putting it on the same scale as many global oil majors.
While telling the world it supports the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, Glencore at the same time financed a covert campaign to push coal in Australia
In 2020, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and the environment, Canadian David Boyd, called for a halt to operations at Glencore’s massive and contentious Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia.
Read and download the full report here.