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  4. Minding biodiversity in mining

In 2021, IAMGOLD made a bold public commitment: to achieve net positive biodiversity across its mining operations by 2050. But turning vision into action meant first understanding what that promise truly entailed — and whether it was even possible. Partnering with WSP, the company embarked on a pioneering journey to measure, map and reframe its impact on nature across Canada and West Africa. The result? A new benchmark in mining sustainability, rooted in realism, resilience and renewal. Together, we're helping IAMGOLD move from aspiration to action, shaping a strategy that’s not only defensible, but transformational.

Location

  • Canada

Client

  • IAMGOLD

From ambition to action

In 2021, IAMGOLD aligned its commitment with the Global Biodiversity Framework, pledging to reverse its impact on nature. The goal? To achieve net positive biodiversity by 2050 — creating more habitat than is disturbed.

At the time, it was a courageous move. But what seemed clear on paper soon proved complex in practice. What is "nature"? How do you define a baseline? How do you restore ecosystems when each site, each species, each hectare is unique?

That’s when WSP stepped in.

“We were brought in not just to build a roadmap,” explains Julie Pizzutto, project lead at WSP, “but to first challenge the very framing of the commitment. What are we really aiming for? What’s measurable? What’s realistic? And how do we turn bold words into a strategy that works — on the ground, over time, and across borders?”

img-IAMGOLD-Reimagining Reclamation2

The challenge: Measuring the immeasurable

IAMGOLD operates three major mine sites — Westwood (Québec), Côté Gold (Ontario), and Essakane (Burkina Faso). Each is ecologically distinct. Each sits within a different cultural, climatic and operational context.

To even begin designing a biodiversity strategy, WSP started by quantifying ecosystem disturbance across all three.

 That meant rebuilding pre-mining sites using satellite imagery, analyzing and mapping the ecosystems on them, and estimating the reclamation effort required for both “net positive” and “full recovery” scenarios — through biodiversity analysis, strategic advice, corporate and site-level engagement.

But as Julie notes, “Biodiversity isn’t like carbon. It’s local. It’s complex. You can’t offset savannah in Burkina Faso with a wetland in Ontario.”

More than a technical challenge, this became an exercise in redefining success.

Reclaiming a natural environment in Burkina Faso is not the same as in Canada—the vegetation is different, the species are different. That’s the challenge we’re working on with WSP. We want to find a way to measure our gains to prove that we’re making progress in terms of biodiversity.

A pivotal moment: redefining the target

WSP’s findings revealed a sobering truth: IAMGOLD’s original 2021 commitment, while inspiring, wasn’t yet actionable. It lacked a measurable baseline, relied on an ambitious timeline for target achievement, and treated ecosystems as interchangeable.

Instead of pushing ahead with a flawed plan, IAMGOLD chose to pause — and reframe.

Together, WSP and IAMGOLD developed a two-tier strategy:

  • A committed target aligned with ICMM standards: achieving no net loss of ecosystems by the time each mine site reaches closure, using a 2020 baseline.
  • An aspirational target: aiming for net gain or even full recovery, based on pre-disturbance conditions — but only where possible.

This approach aligns ambition with evidence, and future-proofs IAMGOLD’s environmental leadership.

Real impact, rooted in place

This project is not just about numbers. By also analyzing nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks & opportunities, WSP helped identify strategic approaches for the sites to reach the Net-Positive committed target, for example:

At Essakane, WSP helped IAMGOLD quantify how their existing closure plan was contributing to their Net Positive committed target through the inclusion of gallery forest and grassland or savanna ecosystems.

At Westwood, WSP confirmed the need for offsetting to achieve their committed target.

And at Côté Gold, the closure and reclamation plan are being reevaluated to prioritize ecosystem functionality, not just landform aesthetics to provide greater biodiversity benefits.

A blueprint for transformation

IAMGOLD’s journey stands out not only for its technical depth — but for its integrity.

In a landscape where many companies chase “nature positive” headlines without substance, IAMGOLD chose a different path: to first understand, then act.

As Julie puts it, “They didn’t just want to tick a disclosure box. They wanted to lead with intention — and make nature part of their operating DNA.”

This required a cultural shift. Strategic education. Site-Level and corporate engagement. And internal alignment — especially with executives.

The result? Biodiversity can now be prioritized by IAMGOLD’s leadership with a clarity and intent that aligns with their business strategy and shareholder values.

img-IAMGOLD-Reimagining Reclamation

 

Meet the Visioneers

Julie Pizzutto led a multidisciplinary WSP team that included geomatics technicians, ecologists, and strategic advisors. Together, they measured ecosystem disturbance based on satellite imagery and ecosystem mapping, and translated technical findings into strategic guidance, ensuring the commitment was realistic and translatable into an actionable plan.

For Julie, the most rewarding part?

Pioneering work jointly with IAMGOLD and “breaking the case” with them. It was incredibly fulfilling to see IAMGOLD genuinely embrace transformation. IAMGOLD didn’t shy away when the results were tough — they leaned in. That’s what makes this more than a mining reporting strategy. It’s a real involvement for nature.

Other challenges that we have overcome