CIM

Excellence in Sustainable Development Award

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Excellence in Sustainable Development Award

For excellence in sustainable development

Origins & Conditions

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History

The Excellence in Sustainable Development Award (formerly the Syncrude Award for Excellence in Sustainable Development) promotes the Canadian minerals industry as an active seeker of sustainability solutions that engage and affect the Canadian public. Sustainability is defined as meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable development includes the interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of economic development, social development and environmental protection. This award recognizes extraordinary systems, programs or processes that have far-reaching and positive sustainability effects in all industry sectors across Canada. It recognizes those individuals, communities, organizations, corporations or academics that are working to create economic wealth while mitigating environmental impacts and acting inclusively towards all segments of society.

Purpose

To promote the Canadian minerals industry as an active seeker of sustainability solutions that engage and affect the Canadian public

Criteria

The award shall be made to an individual, community, organization, corporation, or academic, not necessarily a CIM national member, and whose contribution:
- Adds value to the minerals industry's sustainable management practices 
- Has an effect on several corporations and organizations in more than one isolated circumstance; 
- Features people or tangible qualities that the public can relate to; 
- Has a positive impact in one or more area of the three pillars of sustainability: environment, economy, and social.

Recipients

There is only one recipient of this award each year. This award may be given to an individual or an organization.

Winners

2025

Jenifer Hill

Jenifer Hill is an ecologist with a masters in environmental management and over 25 years of experience bringing strategic solutions to the mining industry. She has a broad range of experience in baseline studies, impact assessment, mitigation planning, permitting, waste, water and biodiversity management, as well as due diligence assessments for acquisitions and financing. She is a contributing author to CIM’s ESG Guidelines and past chair of CIM’s Environmental and Social Responsibility Society (ESRS). Jenifer is a contributing author to IGF’s (Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development) environmental impact and management guidance documents for governments. She is also a regular UBC Department of Mining Engineering guest lecturer on permitting. 

2023

Alistair Kent

Alistair Kent is a civil geotechnical engineer with over 40 years of experience in the mining sector.  He started his mining career by helping hard rock miners from Inco deal with weak tropical soils in Indonesia, thence to Vancouver where he has worked on a wide range of minerals across Canada and beyond.  He has coordinated and managed multi-disciplinary project and study teams for consultancies, owners and capital investment firms. He is actively involved in the implementation of sustainable development and the integration of multi-disciplinary teams to promote socially responsible mining. He leads the working group on tailings management for the Environment and Social Responsibility Society of CIM, and has been involved with CIM branch and national executives since 1996.