Agnico Eagle Finland Oy operates the Kittilä mine and engages in mineral exploration elsewhere Kittilä and nearby areas. The Canadian parent company Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, established in 1957, is the second largest gold producer in the world and has mines in Canada, Australia, Finland, and Mexico. Further information on Agnico Eagle’s sustainable development practices and performance is available in the 2024 Sustainability Report at www.agnicoeagle.com.
Agnico Eagle Finland began mineral exploration in Kittilä in 2006, proceeding to excavation and gold processing in 2008. Operations began as open-pit mining, which ended at the end of 2012. Since then, ore has only been extracted from the underground mine. For the moment, production is planned to continue until late 2030s. The company employs around 1,000 people, including employees of partner companies. Over 50% of the employees live in Kittilä, with more than 90% of the personnel hailing from Lapland.
Sustainability is a key part of Agnico Eagle’s strategy. The company strives to integrate sustainability at every stage of mining operations, from exploration to mine closure and environmental rehabilitation. This translates into four fundamental objectives in sustainable development: maintaining a safe and healthy workplace, protecting the environment, respecting employees, and respecting communities. By investing in new technologies, Agnico Eagle Finland aims to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, protect biodiversity, manage water resources sustainably and improve safety and well-being at work. Working with local communities is important to create long-term positive impacts.
For more information on Agnico Eagle Finland’s sustainability practices and performance, see the 2024 Sustainability Report at www.agnicoeagle.fi.
| AAA | |||||||||||||
| AA | |||||||||||||
| A | |||||||||||||
| B | |||||||||||||
| C | |||||||||||||
| Community Outreach | Biodiversity Management | Tailings management | Water management | Climate change management | Mine closure | Occupational health and safety |
| Crisis management preparedness | Internal review | Training and exercises | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crisis Management Planning – Corporate | |||
| Crisis Management Planning – Site |
Agnico Eagle Finland’s regional exploration team has operated since 2006 as part of Agnico Eagle’s international exploration organization. In Finland, exploration activities are focused on the Kittilä mine area and its surroundings, as well as other parts of Northern Finland.
The exploration methods used include deep drilling, rock and soil sampling using percussion drilling, trench sampling, sampling with a mini drill (rock sampling), geophysical surveys, manual test pits, excavator-dug test pits, and bedrock mapping.
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Location in a nature reserve* | ||
| Environmental Management System ** | ||
| Environmental impact assessment required (in accordance with the EIA Act) * | ||
| Measurements for dust | ||
| Measurements for noise | ||
| Measurements for vibration | ||
| Environmental risk assessment carried out | ||
| Deviations from environmental permits *** | ||
| Closure plan for the mine | ||
| Plan for the controlled shutdown of the mine in unexpected situations |
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Staff initiative system | ||
| Performance appraisals concerning the entire personnel | ||
| Staff training plan | ||
| Equality plan | ||
| Employee representation in company administration | ||
| Occupational health and safety management system* | ||
| Occupational safety card for everyone working in the area | ||
| Own rescue unit |
Tourism, together with mining, is a cornerstone of Kittilä’s economy. Other important economic activities include reindeer husbandry, forestry and the service industry.
Coordination with other livelihoods is a prerequisite of mining. Agnico Eagle Finland aims to promote social, economic and sustainable development in its area of operation. It is therefore important to engage in active dialogue and close cooperation with stakeholders, including representatives of the tourism sector and other economic activities.
The economic impact of the Kittilä mine in the region and in Lapland is significant in terms of taxes and fees paid and employment generated. The tax footprint was EUR 73 million in 2024. Purchases are preferably made from nearby areas whenever possible. In 2024, the value of Finnish procurement was EUR 231 million. Lapland-based companies accounted for EUR 50.5 million of this total.
The social, economic and environmental impacts of mining operations are always assessed before a project starts, and larger projects are subject to a project-specific Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) based on environmental legislation. The environmental impacts of mining are prevented, mitigated and monitored, for example, with a monitoring program approved by the authorities. Furthermore, additional, voluntary development measures and monitoring are carried out at the Kittilä mine.
The recreational potential of the area is explored and developed together with local communities. Cooperation projects include the construction of a new kota (traditional hut) for local residents and tourists on the north side of the tailings area and the enhancement of the Parvajoki river, which flows through the village of Kittilä, to restore the brown trout habitat and to revive the population.
Long-term planning for water management is supported by Agnico Eagle’s Water Management Policy, which reinforces water management practices in line with the Towards Sustainable Mining standard. One of the most significant investments related to water management is the nitrogen removal plant completed at the end of 2022, which has helped to keep nitrogen emissions from the Kittilä mine very low.
Environmental and fisheries monitoring is ongoing, and young fish are released annually into the Seurujoki, Loukinen, and Kapsajoki rivers. The annual amount required by the environmental permit is 12,000 young fish.
Landscape and nature values are considered in the design and implementation of operations throughout the life of the mine, and they are assessed in the permit processes of major construction projects.
According to the Mining Act and the Environmental Protection Act, a mining operator must have a mine closure plan approved by the relevant authority at the start of its operations. In addition, collateral must be set in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act. Both the closure plan and the amount of collateral are updated as the operations change. The mine closure plan includes, among other things, the principles and measures for landscaping and environmental adaptation. The plan also considers biodiversity needs.
Agnico Eagle aims to contribute to the social and economic development of sustainable communities associated with its operations. Active dialogue and close cooperation with stakeholders are essential to achieve this.
The most important local stakeholders of the Kittilä mine include its own employees and those of partner companies, neighbors, nearby villages, the municipality of Kittilä, Kuivasalmi’s reindeer-herding cooperative, landowners, tourism operators in the area, and Metsähallitus (the Finnish state-owned enterprise responsible for managing state-owned land and natural resources). Since 2013, an important forum for cooperation has been the Community Liaison Committee, which includes a wide range of local stakeholders as members. The Committee convened three times in 2024. The last meeting of the year included a workshop with the aim of building a long-term plan for the Committee’s activities.
Annually, Agnico Eagle Finland arranges an Open House event in collaboration with the municipality of Kittilä, Visit Levi, and the Levi Ski Resort. The event showcases the regional exploration of Agnico Eagle Finland and operation of the Kittilä mine. Stakeholders are also met at other events, such as the Levi World Cup, as well as at community events and at hearings related to permitting.
An important part of stakeholder engagement is the financial and practical support that Agnico Eagle Finland provides through donations, sponsorship, and event collaboration. The aim is to contribute to the cultural and social well-being of communities. In particular, the company supports activities for children and young people and projects that create value and well-being for employees, their families and local communities.
Stakeholder feedback is collected through surveys at events, in the Community Liaison Committee, and via digital channels. Agnico Eagle Finland has a website with contact forms, and it is also possible to give feedback by email, over the phone, and via social media channels (Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn).
Agnico Eagle Finland cooperates with various educational institutions, the most important of which are the University of Lapland, the University of Oulu and Oulu Mining School, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, and vocational schools in the region. In the field of technology, partners include mining equipment manufacturers, for whom the company offers testing opportunities for equipment under development, and the Nexgen Sims project, funded by the European Union, which ended in 2024 and involved the testing of autonomous mining equipment at the Kittilä mine.
In the field of environmental protection, the company is involved in the Biopeitto3 project, for example, which is developing biocovers for mine closure and follow-up, in particular for covering sulfide-rich extractive waste. Agnico Eagle Finland is also involved in the SMARTTEST project, which studies solutions for the environmentally sound management of extractive waste in long-term field testing.
