ES PT
ES PT

Natural Capital

An innovative and sustainable mining

Our sustainable development strategy aims at mining based on innovative practices to advance in the areas of climate change, natural resources and responsible production. Conserving the environment is essential for us for the continuity of business and ensuring access to natural resources for future generations.

To this end, we seek to rationally extract the mineral resources necessary for our operation and work to continuously reduce the impact of our activities on the environment, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, on water efficiency and on impacts on the biodiversity.

Actual Impact

Mining activities require responsible water resource management, especially in regions experiencing water stress, where initiatives such as desalination—which has already been implemented—help strengthen water security and operational resilience. Operations are also conducted with a focus on protecting biodiversity and mitigating environmental impacts.

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Interactions with water as a shared resource
Correlated indicators
GRI Dimension:
Environmental
GRI Code:
303-1
SDG
Water is an essential resource for the organization’s operations and is used in various stages of industrial and mining processes, including mineral processing, zinc hydrometallurgy, drilling, road watering, irrigation, human consumption, and equipment washing. Water is sourced from duly authorized surface and groundwater sources, such as the São Francisco and Santa Catarina rivers, the Ribeirão Espírito Santo, the Córrego Arrainha, and the Aroeira dam in Brazil, in addition to the use of desalinated seawater at the Cerro Lindo facility in Peru, thereby reducing pressure on local water resources. Part of the water is treated for human consumption, while raw water is widely used in production processes. Water management includes physical-chemical effluent treatment systems, wetlands, settling basins, and recirculation, aimed at reducing consumption and complying with environmental legislation. Impacts are monitored through ongoing environmental studies, including EIAs and technical investigations, with particular emphasis on the lowering of the water table at the Vazante facility, which has been the subject of studies and mitigation measures in partnership with specialized institutions. The organization maintains strict control over water abstraction and discharge, in addition to engaging in dialogue with stakeholders and implementing environmental education initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to the sustainable use of water as a shared resource.
Water disposal
Correlated indicators
GRI Dimension:
Environmental
GRI Code:
303-4
SDG
Water Disposal (in megaliters)¹ 
2023 2024 2025
Total volume Total volume Total volume In areas with water scarcity In areas without water scarcity
Surface water 132.349,29 131.177,02 116.876,22 – 116.876,22
Freshwater –  – 14.288,43 – 14.288,43
Other water 132.349,29 131.177,02 102.587,79 – 102.587,79
Groundwater 2.739,34 1.563,28 1.923,80 – 1.923,80
Freshwater  –  – 299,54 – 299,54
Other water 2.739,34 1.563,28 1.624,26 – 1.624,26
Seawater 1.971,68 1.942,89 1.720,67 – 1.720,67
Freshwater  –  – – – –
Other water 1.971,68 1.942,89 1.720,67 – 1.720,67
Outsourced treatment 80,22 608,75 426,53 – 426,53
Freshwater –  – – – –
Other water 80,22 608,75 426,53 – 426,53
Total water discharged into water bodies¹ 147.794,97 135.291,94 120.947,21 – 120.947,21
Freshwater –  – 14.587,97 – 14.587,97
Other water 2.079,02 2.775,87 106.359,25 – 106.359,25
Water retained in products 8.575,43 7.651,05 2.134,38 – 2.134,38
Losses and supply to communities 147.900,12 135.291,94 5.525,74 – 5.525,74
 
¹ In 2024, we adjusted the indicator to report only discharges into water bodies, in accordance with GRI guidelines. However, we continue to report information on water withdrawal and process losses.
 
Water withdrawal
Correlated indicators
GRI Dimension:
Environmental
GRI Code:
303-3
SASB Sector:
Mining and Metals
SASB Dimension:
Water Management
SASB Code:
EM-MM 140 a.1
SDG
Water withdrawal by source (megalitres)
2023 2024 2025
Volume total Volume total Volume total En área de escasez hídrica En área sin escasez hídrica
Surface water 34.297,41 32.764,37 15.440,14  – 15.440,14
Fresh water –  – 4.586,62  – 4.586,62
Another water 34.297,41 32.764,37 10.853,52  – 10.853,52
Ground water4 110.574,03 106.184,90 112.467,47  – 112.467,47
Fresh water – 273,98 919,08  – 919,08
Another water 110.574,03 105.910,92 111.548,39  – 111.548,39
Rainwater 7.153,08 7.213,30 8.774,74  – 8.774,74
Fresh water –  – 4.379,70  – 4.379,70
Another water 7.153,08 7.213,30 4.395,04  – 4.395,04
Seawater  3.601,66 3.634,36 3.133,05  – 3.133,05
Fresh water –  –  –  –  –
Another water 3.601,66 3.634,36 3.133,05  – 3.133,05
Produced water 262,34 223,48 187,84  – 187,84
Fresh water –  – 62,87  – 62,87
Another water 262,34 223,48 124,98  – 124,98
Third party water 36,77 34,71 84,95  – 84,95
Fresh water –  –  –
Another water 36,77 34,71 84,95  – 84,95
Total discarded withdrawn and used 155.925,28 150.055,11 140.088,20  – 140.088,20
Fresh water – 273,98 16.292,62  – 16.292,62
Another water 155.925,28 149.781,14 123.795,58  – 123.795,58
In 2025, a new methodology was adopted for recording and consolidating water withdrawal and discharge data at the Aripuanã unit. This methodological update aimed to improve data traceability, enhance the reliability of operational records, and ensure greater alignment with sustainability reporting guidelines
Management of impacts related to water discharge
Correlated indicators
GRI Dimension:
Environmental
GRI Code:
303-2
SDG
The organization incorporates material recycling practices into its operational processes, with a focus on the recirculation of effluents and the reuse of byproducts generated during industrial treatment. The facilities are equipped with industrial and sanitary wastewater treatment plants, where liquid waste undergoes physicochemical processes that remove solids and precipitate metals. Some of the resulting materials, such as sludge and solids containing metals, are reintegrated into the production process or directed to internal systems, reducing the need for primary inputs and promoting greater efficiency in resource use. Furthermore, at facilities where there is no effluent discharge or where the operational strategy prioritizes a closed-loop system, water and associated materials are continuously recirculated, preventing losses and minimizing waste generation. Quality standards for reuse and disposal are defined based on applicable laws and internal guidelines, ensuring that reused materials meet technical, environmental, and operational criteria. This approach reinforces the organization’s commitment to the circular economy, waste reduction, and the sustainable use of natural resources. No facility disposes of materials without defined legal requirements. In addition, operations take into account the characteristics of receiving water bodies and work to mitigate impacts through initiatives such as spring restoration and environmental education in local communities.
Protected or restored habitats
Correlated indicators
GRI Dimension:
Environmental
GRI Code:
304-3
SDG
Protected or restored habitats (2023) (*)
Biome Area where restoration measures have been approved by external experts or follow external parameters/protocols Total area (km²)
Yes No
Amazônia 15,12 – 15,12
Northeastern xerophytic open forest (caatinga) – – –
Savannah (cerrado) 19,80 1,28 21,08
Atlantic Florest 2,33 – 2,33
Pantanal – – –
Pampa – – –
Others – – –
Protected or restored habitats (2024) (*)
Biome Area where restoration measures have been approved by external experts or follow external parameters/protocols Total area (km²)
Yes No
Amazônia 19,15 – 19,15
Northeastern xerophytic open forest (caatinga) – – –
Savannah (cerrado) 903,70 – 903,70
Atlantic Florest 2,37 0,45 2,83
Pantanal – – –
Pampa – – –
Others 0,00 2,700,01 2.700,02
(*) No data has been reported for the year 2025.

Risks

  • Water scarcity can lead to regulatory, reputational, and operational risks.
  • Supply disruptions can interrupt operations.
  • Increased costs and environmental liabilitie

Opportunities

  • Efficient resource management (recycling and reduction)
  • Access to natural capital markets

Get to know our initiatives

To improve the sustainable management of water resources and strengthen our commitments to Nexa’s ESG Strategy, we have several initiatives underway in Brazil and Peru, including:

Desalination Plant in Cerro Lindo/Peru

Desalination Plant in Cerro Lindo/Peru

Cerro Lindo is one of the examples of a high rate of water recirculation (about 90%), where all the resource used comes from recirculation or the sea. The operation has a desalination plant, which extracts salt by reverse osmosis and pumps it to the plant, at an altitude of 2,200 meters. In an area marked by the shortage of water resources, this technology is important to avoid competing with the population in the demand for water.

Reforestation of pine and queñual forests in Peru

Reforestation of pine and queñual forests in Peru

The program, launched in 2019, aims to restore areas affected by deforestation in Quinua, in Jarapampa, Yanacancha district, and in the community of San Francisco Asís de Yarusyacán, in the villages of Joraoniyoc and Huancamachay, in Peru.

In the region, residents are engaged in the production, care, and maintenance of 197,000 pine and queñual plantations. We provide assistance by supplying inputs and creating temporary job opportunities for community members—mostly elderly residents—in the production of seedlings.

With an initial planned duration of three years, the program has already benefited more than 120 residents.

Vazantes Mineiras Project

Vazantes Mineiras Project

This pioneering initiative in the municipality of Vazante (MG) aims to build a legacy that extends beyond the company’s continued presence in the region through the sustainable use of rural areas, combined with innovation, research, and eco-tourism. The initiatives will be implemented across an area of 3,000 hectares and will strengthen Nexa’s role as a key partner in the municipality’s development.

The project is in its initial phase and is being developed in partnership with Reservas Votorantim, which applies the multiple-use land model in Legado das Águas (SP) and Legado Verdes do Cerrado (GO), and provides consulting services to Nexa for the implementation of Vazantes Mineiras. Throughout the project, results and partnerships will be presented, with a focus on open dialogue and transparency throughout the process.

People taking care of water

People taking care of water

Project that combines the fencing of water spring areas and footpaths in the Santa Catarina River Basin with community and school environmental education, in the municipality of Vazante (MG). Monitoring of the river is maintained by Nexa for the continuous understanding of the water dynamics and support for studies, such as the one developed by the São Paulo Institute of Technological Research (IPT) on the impacts of the drying up of a stretch of the river in the region.

Started in 2018, the action involves an area of 50,000 hectares, with 134 springs, and has up to five years for its full implementation. In all, we have already protected 110 springs, with the construction of 62,049 meters of fences.

Our aspiration

Meet, control and optimize production processes related to the specific water consumption at Nexa, increasing recirculation, reducing fresh water consumption and improving the quality of discarded water.

2030 Commitment

  • Achieve a 10% reduction in specific water consumption at mining units
  • Achieve a 10% reduction in specific water consumption at smelting units

Our contribution to the SDGs

SDGs related to the topic:

 

In 2017, we committed to the global agenda comprising 17 goals and 169 targets to be achieved by 2030.

SDGs related to the topic

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Strategy

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