Tianqi Lithium

Stakeholder engagement
Tianqi Lithium discloses an overview of the issues raised during its stakeholder engagement activities, covering nature, including biodiversity, and social issues. The company discloses how often and through which channels it engages with various stakeholder groups.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the ecosystems and biodiversity area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the social inclusion and community impact area.

Sustainability strategy and accountability
Tianqi Lithium discloses its process for identifying and prioritising its most relevant sustainability impacts as well as the outcome of this process, in relation to its sustainability strategy. While the company mentions its strategic target, no evidence that the company has group wide targets on key sustainability topics for the most material parts of its value chain based on the SBTN Sectoral Materiality Tool could be found in the public domain. The company does not report consistently against all its targets.
No evidence was found that Tianqi Lithium links performance criteria in senior executives’ remuneration policies to targets and objectives which cover nature, including biodiversity, and social issues. The company does not disclose whether its highest governance body has expertise regarding nature-related topics.

Lobbying
Tianqi Lithium does not report on its lobbying and advocacy practices on nature-related issues, nor whether these activities align with its sustainability strategy.

Impact and dependencies assessment
While Tianqi Lithium mentions its environmental impact assessment system, no further details on the methodology and result of such assessment. The company has not holistically assessed its impacts or how it depends on nature, including biodiversity. It has an opportunity to start such an assessment across its value chains, focused on the quantification of its impacts or dependencies.

Key areas and species
Tianqi Lithium does not disclose key species or areas important for biodiversity affected by its operations or suppliers. It has an opportunity to increase its transparency.

Ecosystem conversion and restoration
Tianqi Lithium does not disclose a commitment to ensure zero conversion. The company does not disclose activities or time-bound targets to achieve conversion-free supply chains. The company does not disclose activities or commitments to minimise ecosystem conversion.
Tianqi Lithium does not disclose a commitment to restore ecosystems. The company discloses details and outcomes of ecosystem restoration projects in areas affected by its own operations or by its suppliers. The company discloses its implementation of ecological restoration and rehabilitation after closing the mine with examples in Talison Lithium which provides protection and habitat for local fauna.

Resource exploitation and circularity
No evidence was found regarding Tianqi Lithium’s efforts to work towards a circular economy or which organisms it exploits. The company has an opportunity to develop a strategy and publicly report on specific, time-bound targets. While the company provides examples in Zhangjiagang Plant which conducts hazard investigations for soil and groundwater, no further details on the specific measures taken to improve soil health. The company does not disclose a target to improve soil health in its production or sourcing practices.

Water
Tianqi Lithium demonstrates it is reducing water withdrawal in its own operations but does not disclose a relevant time-bound target. The company does not report how much water is withdrawn for its own operations in water-stressed areas. The company does not engage with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal.
Tianqi Lithium reports a decrease in water pollution. The company does not specify its process for managing and monitoring water discharge quality. The company regularly reports on water pollution. The company does not disclose targets to reduce water pollution. The company does not disclose a commitment to respect the right to water. The company does not disclose its processes for implementing preventive and corrective action plans for identified specific risks to the right to water and sanitation in its own operations.

Solid and air pollution
While Tianqi Lithium provides practices on waste management, no further details on the company’s reduction of hazardous waste production. No evidence that the company reduces plastic use and waste in its own operations was found. The company does not report on the amount of plastic waste generated and proportions directed from or to disposal. The company reports regularly on air quality parameters of emissions of harmful air pollutants. The company does not report time-bound targets to reduce air pollutants across the most material parts of its value chain.

GHG emissions
Tianqi Lithium is reducing its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions compared to the previous year. However, the company does not disclose any other information on scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions, nor has it set a time-bound reduction target. The company must immediately set a reduction target aligned with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree trajectory.

Invasive species
Tianqi Lithium has not identified any activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive alien species in its own operations.

Safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
Tianqi Lithium does not disclose a commitment to respecting local communities’ right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. While the company discloses its initiatives on promoting poverty alleviation through healthcare towards local communities, it is unclear whether the company tracks its actual or potential negative impacts on the health of local communities could be found in the public domain. The company is not committed to zero tolerance for acts of violence, threats, intimidation or judicial harassment committed against land and environmental rights defenders.

Indigenous peoples’ and land rights
Tianqi Lithium does not disclose a commitment to respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights or land rights of local communities.

Tianqi Lithium has an opportunity to describe a comprehensive process for identifying its human rights risks and impacts across all its activities, especially through its business relationships. The company has an opportunity to describe a process for assessing the human rights risks it has identified and to disclose what it considers to be its salient human rights issues. A description of this process would include how relevant factors are considered, such as geographical, economic and social factors. No evidence was found that the company has a global system to act on its salient human rights issues.
While Tianqi Lithium discloses the categories of stakeholders it engages with generally on sustainability issues, it is not clear if these stakeholders are those whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities. No evidence that the company provides examples of its engagement with stakeholders whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities was found.

There is no evidence that Tianqi Lithium has a publicly available policy statement committing it to respect the health and safety of workers. While the company states that it strictly abides by local laws, it has an opportunity to disclose a time-bound target for paying all workers a living wage or that it has achieved paying all workers a living wage. No evidence that the company describes how it determines a living wage for the regions where it operates was found. No evidence that the company describes how it works to support the payment of a living wage by its suppliers was found.
Tianqi Lithium has an opportunity to disclose the coverage of collective bargaining agreements. The company has an opportunity to describe how it works to support the practices of its suppliers in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Tianqi Lithium has an opportunity to publish a global tax strategy and should assign responsibility for this strategy to an executive-level individual or body. The company has an opportunity to disclose a policy on bribery and corruption and its processes for identifying and addressing bribery and corruption. The company does not disclose its approach to lobbying and political engagement in a public policy document.