REG-Taseko Mines Limited: Taseko Announces 2020 Sustainability Performance

Taseko MinesAnnouncement

22/04/2021 17:35

Taseko Announces 2020 Sustainability Performance

VANCOUVER, BC, April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Taseko Mines Limited (TSX: TKO)
(NYSE MKT: TGB) (LSE: TKO) ("Taseko" or the "Company") has published its
annual Environmental, Social, and Governance ("ESG") Report, titled
'Sustainability: Our Low Carbon Future' (the "Report"), highlighting Taseko's
sustainability performance for 2020.  

Stuart McDonald, Taseko's President, commented, "2020 was a difficult year in
many respects, with lower copper prices earlier in the year and a world-wide
health pandemic at the forefront; but people, communities, and companies
rallied together and adapted.  During this challenging year, we continued to
keep our employees safe and working, while also meeting our commitments to the
environment and communities.  I want to specifically acknowledge the work of
our employees whose dedication and commitment to success resulted in an
environmental reclamation award, Indigenous partnerships and exceptional
health and safety performance."

"Our Gibraltar Mine helped sustain economic strength in local communities, and
we also worked to advance other projects, including our Florence Copper
Project which will have one of the smallest environmental footprints, and
lowest carbon intensity, of any copper mine in the world.  It is an
opportunity for copper production with minimal environmental impacts,
including: water consumption that is fourteen times lower, carbon emissions
six times lower and energy consumption three times lower than a conventional
mining operation.

In this year's ESG report, Taseko has reported Scope 1 and 2(1) greenhouse
gas emissions for the Gibraltar Mine which show that the mine ranks in the
first quartile of all copper mines globally.  When commercial operations at
Florence Copper commence, the Company's combined GHG emissions intensity will
drop even lower, to an estimated 1.53 tonnes of CO(2)e per tonne of copper
equivalent, based on an independent analysis by Skarn Associates."

Taseko Mines' 2020 sustainability highlights includes:
* Rigorous health and safety protocols enabled operations to continue at the
Gibraltar Mine in Williams Lake BC and at Florence Copper in Arizona during
the Covid-19 pandemic.
* Recognition from the British Columbia Technical and Research Committee on
Reclamation with the Jake McDonald Award for outstanding work in mine
reclamation and Indigenous collaboration.
* Outstanding safety performance at Gibraltar Mine with zero loss time
incidents, zero days lost, zero loss time severity, and zero loss time
frequency.
* Continued commitment to a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in
which we operate. In 2020 28% of the new hires at Taseko are female and 15%(2)
are Indigenous people.
* A priority on securing local goods and services with C$116 million and
US$2.5 million being distributed to local suppliers from Gibraltar and
Florence Copper, respectively; C$72 million and US$2.1 million was distributed
in wages to local employees from Gibraltar and Florence Copper, respectively.
* Low Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emission of 1.66 tonnes of CO(2)e per
tonnes of copper produced equivalent and 0.09 tonnes of CO(2)e per tonnes of
copper equivalent produced, respectively.
* Continued discussions with our Indigenous neighbours, that included a
Framework Agreement with a local Indigenous Nation to begin discussions on the
Yellowhead Project, as well as an extension to the standstill agreement with
T?ilhqot'in Nation as both parties seek a long-term solution to the conflict
regarding Taseko's proposed gold-copper mine currently known as New
Prosperity.
 _____________________                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
 (1)Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse (GHG) emissions that occur from sources that are controlled or owned by an organization, such as diesel used in vehicles. Scope 2 emissions are indirect GHG emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, heat, or cooling.  
 (2)A percentage of Gibraltar new hires only                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

The full report can be viewed and downloaded at tasekomines.com/esg/overview
(https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3138840-1&h=4017039422&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tasekomines.com%2Fesg%2Foverview&a=tasekomines.com%2Fesg%2Foverview)

Russell Hallbauer
Chief Executive Officer and Director

No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved of the information
contained in this news release.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This document contains "forward-looking statements" that were based on
Taseko's expectations, estimates and projections as of the dates as of which
those statements were made. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be
identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "outlook",
"anticipate", "project", "target", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend",
"should" and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results,
level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from
those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These included
but are not limited to:
* uncertainties about the effect of COVID-19 and the response of local,
provincial, federal and international governments to the threat of COVID-19 on
our operations (including our suppliers, customers, supply chain, employees
and contractors) and economic conditions generally and in particular with
respect to the demand for copper and other metals we produce;
* uncertainties and costs related to the Company's exploration and development
activities, such as those associated with continuity of mineralization or
determining whether mineral resources or reserves exist on a property;
* uncertainties related to the accuracy of our estimates of mineral reserves,
mineral resources, production rates and timing of production, future
production and future cash and total costs of production and milling;
* uncertainties related to feasibility studies that provide estimates of
expected or anticipated costs, expenditures and economic returns from a mining
project;
* uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary licenses permits
for development projects and project delays due to third party opposition;
* uncertainties related to unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings;
* changes in, and the effects of, the laws, regulations and government
policies affecting our exploration and development activities and mining
operations, particularly laws, regulations and policies;
* changes in general economic conditions, the financial markets and in the
demand and market price for copper, gold and other minerals and commodities,
such as diesel fuel, steel, concrete, electricity and other forms of energy,
mining equipment, and fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly with
respect to the value of the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar, and the continued
availability of capital and financing;
* the effects of forward selling instruments to protect against fluctuations
in copper prices and exchange rate movements and the risks of counterparty
defaults, and mark to market risk;
* the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance to cover
mining risks;
* the risk of loss of key employees; the risk of changes in accounting
policies and methods we use to report our financial condition, including
uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates;
* environmental issues and liabilities associated with mining including
processing and stock piling ore; and
* labour strikes, work stoppages, or other interruptions to, or difficulties
in, the employment of labour in markets in which we operate mines, or
environmental hazards, industrial accidents or other events or occurrences,
including third party interference that interrupt the production of minerals
in our mines.
For further information on Taseko, investors should review the Company's
annual Form 40-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission www.sec.gov and home jurisdiction filings that are available at
www.sedar.com, including the "Risk Factors" included in our Annual Information
Form.

on Taseko, please visit the Taseko website at www.tasekomines.com or contact:
Brian Bergot, Vice President, Investor Relations - 778-373-4533 or toll free
1-877-441-4533



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