Global mining groups aim to launch a single sustainability standard by early 2026 to simplify reporting and address industry challenges, an event in London heard this month.
The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), the World Gold Council, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) and Copper Mark are merging frameworks into a single standard for 300 to 600 mine sites globally—a move Monica Moretto, chair of MAC’s International Social Responsibility Committee and session moderator, likens to miners navigating a red tape jungle.
“Companies face a maze of overlapping standards and reporting agencies,” she told The Northern Miner’s International Metals Symposium on Dec. 2. “Consolidation will bring meaningful simplicity.”
The draft standard, released in October, follows 18 months of work. A public feedback period closed on Dec. 16. It integrates existing frameworks like MAC’s Toward Sustainable Mining (TSM) program, Responsible Gold Mining Principles and Copper Mark. The goal is a global standard aligned with rising environmental, social and governance expectations and anti-greenwashing laws.
Jennifer Prospero, senior director of sustainability at Eldorado Gold (TSX: ELD; NYSE: EGO), spoke about the strain caused by fragmented standards.
“It’s a 12-month-a-year effort,” she said. “We built our own management system borrowing from TSM and other frameworks, but it’s hard to create attachment internally or externally. Consolidation is overdue.”
Developers plan a phased rollout to align with existing three-year audit cycles. By 2031, the panelists expect that most operations will complete their transition to the new system.
Global initiative
The initiative is to cut costs and save time. This is especially true for companies employing many standards.
Smaller miners, often constrained by limited resources, will also benefit from tailored national guidance to focus on the most relevant issues, MAC’s senior vice president, Ben Chalmers, said. “This standard will cut audit hours and streamline reporting for those juggling overlapping frameworks,” Chalmers told the symposium.
Governance will shift to an independent multi-stakeholder model. It will ensure representation from miners, downstream users, indigenous groups and non-governmental organizations, Chalmers said.
“We’re building a global consensus on what responsible mining is, verified by independent measures,” he said.
The new standard aims to enhance industry credibility. “This is about moving from ‘trust us’ to ‘trust our systems,'” Chalmers said.
Prospero agreed, highlighting the importance of establishing a recognized global benchmark. “If this becomes the standard for responsible mining in ten years, it’ll be a huge victory,” she said.
Watch below the full discussion:
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