The regional ministers of Agriculture, Cristián Silva, and of the Environment, Giovanna Amaya, came to the Mediterranean Ecosystems Research Center (CEIEM) of the Hacienda Cauquenes nursery of Codelco's El Teniente Division to learn about the advances in sustainability promoted by the mining company in that sector of Requínoa.

Created from an agreement between the El Teniente Division and the Forestry Institute (INFOR), the center promotes the production of native plants and the development of environmental commitments.

During the visit, the authorities learned about the improvements in infrastructure, which include facilities such as modern greenhouses and laboratories. They also received information about Codelco's Corporate Sustainability Policy and the actions that the copper company is implementing to advance its environmental commitments.

The regional minister of Agriculture of O'Higgins, Cristián Silva, commented that "in this centre, plants are generated to contribute to the balanced development of natural ecosystems in which the Ministry of Agriculture plays a fundamental role. For this reason, we have been invited to visit this space and to publicise the initiatives that we are promoting as a ministry. We collaborate with different institutions to promote the sustainable development of our territory, region and country."

Meanwhile, the regional minister for the Environment, Giovanna Amaya, added that “public-private partnerships in environmental matters bring enormous benefits for conservation. Initiatives such as these complement what we, as the regional minister, are doing through the implementation of the GEF Landscape Restoration project, with its regional pilot project, Secano Costero Nilahue.”

Forest commitment

CEIEM was created in 2020 thanks to an agreement between Codelco El Teniente and the Forestry Institute (INFOR). Since then, it has transformed the nursery into a benchmark for the production of native plants with conservation problems. These plants are used in restoration projects and in environmental compensation measures required by environmental regulations.

Eric San Martín, acting director of the Environment at El Teniente, said that “this visit allows us to show regional authorities our forestry commitment, focused on two key objectives: producing plants to strengthen the ecosystem and developing research that responds to the challenges of climate change and water scarcity. With this space, we seek to respond to future requirements, where the advance of water scarcity imposes different demands on us.”

In addition to its role in plant production, the research center focuses on the restoration of affected ecosystems, to contribute to Codelco's carbon neutrality, generate innovative solutions to environmental problems and strengthen the biodiversity of the territories in which it operates.

Iván Quiroz, doctor in forestry sciences and director of the center, explained that “this visit was very positive. The authorities visited the new infrastructure of the CEIEM and valued the work recently developed, highlighting the progress achieved by El Teniente in this period. In addition, we discussed the possibility of generating collaborations for conservation.”

CEIEM seeks to establish itself as a national benchmark in applied research and species conservation, aligning itself with the company's environmental commitments and responding to new demands. During the event, the importance of promoting public-private collaboration to strengthen these efforts was highlighted.