CSR: New global standard for responsible mining

On June 28, the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) released the Standard for Responsible Mining, a precedent setting global certification program for industrial scale mine sites. With growing awareness and demand for ecologically and socially-responsible products, jewelers, electronics businesses, auto makers and others have sought assurances that the minerals they purchase are mined responsibly. The standard applies to individual mine sites, not mining companies. The Standard seeks to emulate for industrial scale mine sites what has been done with certification programs in organic agriculture, responsible forestry and sustainable fisheries. The Standard for Responsible Mining reflects the input from over 100 companies, organizations and individuals worldwide and has support from leading companies like Anglo American, ArcelorMittal, Microsoft and Tiffany & Co. IRMA has also worked with mines and technical experts to conduct two field tests of the Standard for Responsible Mining to ground-truth the Standard through simulated mine audits in the United States and in Zimbabwe. Auditors hired by IRMA reviewed company documentation, made first-hand observations at the mine sites, and conducted interviews with company representatives and other stakeholders to verify the requirements in the Standard are clear, practicable, and measurable. An online Responsible Mining Map is also available that will allow responsible producers and purchasers of minerals to demonstrate their commitment to a responsible minerals value chain and enable business relationships to develop. Learn more at www.ResponsibleMining.net/.