Building good relations
In most of the communities in which we operate we are the biggest private employer and our employees and their families constitute, in many cases, the critical mass that ensures the supply of fundamental social services and local facilities. This means that we not only have a direct impact on local employment levels, but an indirect one through purchases of local goods and services, as an originator of local infrastructure and as a sponsor of a variety of organisations and events.
We hold dialogue meetings with local residents and others affected in order to build up good relationships. Boliden's mines and smelters are often visited by school and university groups, by politicians and partners, and by tourists and relatives.
Social impact assessments are a new form of tools that identifies, analyses and proposes concrete measures to handle the potential social impact of planned operations.