ICMM's (International Council on Mining and Metals) plan of action explained
'ICMM members believe that the mining, minerals and metals industry acting collectively can best ensure its continued access to land, capital and markets as well as build trust and respect by demonstrating its ability to contribute successfully to sustainable development.'
For the mining and metal producers, in operational terms, there is broad consensus that sustainable development requires three things:
- Integrated approaches to decision-making on a full life cycle basis that satisfy obligations to shareholders and that are balanced and supported by sound science and social, environmental and economic analysis within a framework of good governance;
- Consideration of the needs of current and future generations;
- Establishment of meaningful relationships with key constituencies based on mutual trust and a desire for mutually beneficial outcomes, including those inevitable situations that require informed trade-offs.
In 1999, the Global Mining Initiative (GMI) was launched by Chairmen and CEOs of 10 of the world's leading mining and metals companies. GMI was a direct response to changing times. The industry's social licence to operate was being threatened in many parts of the world. The industry was under attack by NGOs and serious questions were being raised regarding the industry's role in sustainable development.
The three strands.
Firstly, the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development Project (MMSD), which was undertaken by the International Institute for Environment and Development, was based on an extensive program of stakeholder consultations. It involved an independent analysis of the challenges that the industry must meet to contribute constructively to sustainable development.
The second strand was a global policy conference, Resourcing the Future, which took place last May in Toronto. The conference provided a platform for industry leaders to develop its sustainable development case and discuss recommendations of the MMSD report.
The final strand was the creation of a strong global organisation, the International Council on Mining and Metals, to represent and lead the industry in meeting the challenges of sustainable development. ICMM was created from executives from influential national and commodity associations and companies alike.
ICMM
ICMM has 15 member companies committed to working with their 25 national and commodity association members and to providing leadership to the industry in meeting the challenges of sustainable development.
The Future:
Improving performance is crucial. In 2003, our activities will be targeted in three areas:
- Providing strategic leadership to achieve improved sustainable development performance.
- Contributing, in collaboration with national and commodity associations, to international policy discussions on cross-cutting issues.
- Catalysing change for sector-wide action by undertaking dialogue or partnership initiatives with other organisations.
Furthermore several Task Forces have been established to guide the 2003 work programme.
The Sustainable Development Framework
ICMM's Sustainable Development Framework responds to the recommendations of the MMSD report, calling for increased accountability, transparency and credible reporting. It comprises three elements:
- Sustainable development principles
- Reporting against the principles
- Exploring verification systems.
The underlying objective is to improve the performance of the mining and metals companies. High level principles and sub-elements will cover the following areas: corporate governance; health and safety; human rights; social, economic and institutional development; environmental and biodiversity protection; responsible product design and appropriate materials choice; engagement and verified reporting arrangements.
Agreement on principles does not guarantee results. Regular reporting is envisaged to build trust and create a coherent framework for industry-wide comparisons. ICMM will work with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to develop a Sector Supplement to accompany the GRI 2002 Sustainable Reporting Guidelines.
Dialogue and partnership
ICMM have established a series of taskforces with their foundations in partnership with governments, multi-lateral organisations, communities and NGOs. These include:
1. IUCN (World Conservation Union) ICMM Dialogue Initiative
At the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, August 2002), IUCN and ICMM launched a joint dialogue on mining and biodiversity. The purpose of this is to provide a platform for communities, corporations, NGOs and governments to engage to seek the best balance between the protection of important ecosystems and the social and economic importance of mining.
2. Developing integrated materials management and product stewardship tools
ICMM aims to promote science-based regulations and material-choice decisions that encourage market access and the safe production, use, reuse, and recycling of metals and minerals. This is in response to the emergence of increasing restrictions on access to markets for metal and mineral products through regulatory controls and material choice decisions of product designers and manufacturers.
3. Partnership with the World Bank Group (WBG) to develop community management tools
ICMM and the WBG are collaborating on a project to develop new approaches to facilitate the realisation of sustainable community development in areas where mining and mineral processing operations are planned or already functioning.
4. Health & Safety, Emergency Preparedness & Response and Tailings Management
A task force is addressing matters related to the development of best practice case studies and a set of metrics for effective communication of the health and safety performance of the industry. It plans to work with regulatory authorities to ensure consistency and transparency in the process of establishing workplace exposure limits through the adoption of criteria appropriate to the assessment of metals.
5. Collective voice of the industry in the international arena
Interaction with key international fora will also be a priority for ICMM. Industry positions will be developed and global advocacy strategies implemented to inform international policy discussions on key cross-cutting issues of importance to the industry like:
- The World Bank Extractive Industries Review ( ICMM's submission is available at www.icmm.org)
- Global Dialogue of Governments on Mining/Metals and Sustainable Development.
- The UK-led Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
Tangible progress
The issues facing the sector are diverse and complex but ICMM sees 2003 as a year when the industry gathers momentum. We expect tangible progress towards our vision of a viable mining, minerals and metals industry that is widely recognised as essential for modern living and a key contributor to sustainable development.
For more information, please contact:
International Council on Mining and Minerals
info@icmm.com
+44 20 7290 4920
www.ICMM.com
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