By collaborating with communities and organizations, we help provide sustainable benefits in the areas where we operate.

Management Approach

Community engagement is a fundamental sustainable development commitment. Our objective is to incorporate sustainable development principles, including the needs and concerns of our stakeholders, in our business decisions and ensure that we prevent, mitigate and ameliorate the social impacts of our operations. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. spent $191 million funding programs and community activities around the world in 2008. We launched a new Community Policy approved by our Board of Directors in early 2009, which states our commitment toward continuous improvement in our social assessments, interactions with our stakeholders, community partnerships and local development programs.

As part of continuous improvement, we reorganized our global community development implementation teams and integrated them into a newly formed Environmental Services and Sustainable Development Department. This group includes Environmental Services, Life Cycle Assessment, Water and Land, Social Responsibility and Community Development. Team members are integrated throughout the organization, creating new opportunities for implementing company sustainable development policies, work plans and the ICMM sustainable development framework.

Most of our operations around the world have stakeholder engagement efforts such as formal community advisory panels, consultation activities, employment of full-time community liaison officers, facility tours and community information sessions. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. representatives participate on numerous community boards, councils and committees. Our stakeholder engagement programs aim to share information openly with community constituents and focus on gathering input and addressing mutual concerns. Some serve as a forum for monitoring, prioritizing and collaborating on pressing community problems.

We have a wide array of community development programs and approaches across our operations due to the diversity of our stakeholders and their needs. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. is creating five-year Community Development and Engagement Action Plans at all of our active mine sites. We are also developing company-wide criteria for social program investments that will support the objectives of our Community Policy.

PT Freeport Indonesia, in partnership with the community development organization LPMAK, supports economic development, health and education initiatives in Papua, including the Penjunan school and dormitory for indigenous youth from remote villages.

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