Toronto, ON -- Avalon
Rare Metals Inc. (TSX and NYSE
Amex: AVL)
("Avalon" or the "Company")
is pleased to announce that the Company has released its inaugural Corporate Sustainability Report 2011, entitled
Journey to a Sustainable
Future (the "Report"). The report is
available for download
on the Company's website
at http://www.avalonraremetals.com/sustainability/.
The Report has been prepared within the framework of the
Global Reporting Initiative (the
"GRI"), Version 3.1. The GRI sets out the principles
and performance indicators that
help organizations measure
and report their economic,
environmental and social performance. GRI is purported to be the most comprehensive sustainability
reporting guidelines available
today. The Report also
incorporates a self assessment
of 2011 performance and sets targets for 2012 against the Mining
Association of Canada's 'Toward
Sustainable Mining' indicators.
In January 2011, Avalon embarked upon its Corporate Social Responsibility ("CSR") reporting
with its CSR Roadmap. The Roadmap introduced the Company's strategy for managing the
business in a sustainable manner.
In releasing this year's
Report, Mark Wiseman, Avalon's Vice President Sustainability commented, "Producing
a comprehensive sustainability
report compliant with
the GRI guidelines was a very
ambitious undertaking
for a relatively small
company like Avalon. We are confident that all
the time and effort that went
into its preparation will clearly demonstrate the Company's strategic commitment to sustainability
and provide a solid foundation for building a socially
and environmentally responsible
mineral production business."
Commenting on today's announcement,
Don Bubar, President
and CEO said, "We
recognized some time ago that producing rare metals and minerals destined for clean
technology applications in an unsustainable way made little sense. This report fulfills a promise we made
to our stakeholders
for transparency in how we
will achieve our sustainability
goals."
About Avalon
Rare Metals Inc.
Avalon Rare Metals Inc. is a mineral development company focused on rare metals deposits in Canada. Its flagship project, the 100%-owned Nechalacho Deposit, Thor Lake, NWT, is
emerging as one of the largest
undeveloped rare earth
elements resources in
the world. Its exceptional
enrichment in the more valuable
'heavy' rare earth elements, which are key to enabling advances in green energy technology and other growing high-tech
applications, is one of the few potential sources of these critical elements outside of China, currently
the source of 95% of world supply. Avalon is well funded,
has no debt and its work programs are progressing
steadily. Social responsibility
and environmental stewardship
are corporate cornerstones.
Shares Outstanding: 103,186,986. Cash resources: approximately $50 million.
To find out more about Avalon Rare
Metals Inc., please visit our website at www.avalonraremetals.com. For questions and feedback or to obtain
a hard copy of the Sustainability Report by
mail, please e-mail the Company
at sustainability@avalonraremetals.com or phone Mark Wiseman, Vice President
Sustainability at
416-364-4938.
This news release contains "forward-looking
statements" within
the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995
and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology
such as "plans", "expects" or "does
not expect", "is
expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates",
"forecasts", "intends", "anticipates"
or "does not anticipate",
or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or
state that certain actions, events
or results "may",
"could", "would",
"might" or "will
be taken",
"occur" or "be
achieved". Forward-looking
statements are subject
to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity,
performance or achievements of Avalon to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements
are based on assumptions
management believes to be
reasonable at the
time such statements
are made. Although Avalon has attempted to identify
important factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements,
there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Such forward-looking statements
have been provided for the purpose
of assisting investors
in understanding the Company's
plans may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Avalon does not undertake
to update any forward-looking
statements that are contained herein, except in accordance with
applicable securities laws.