Articles

ICMM submits comments on revised IFC Performance Standards

Hanna Hindstrom — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:17:24 +0100

ICMM has formally submitted comments on the revised IFC Performance Standards and related policies that were published for public comment in May 2010.

The Performance Standards outline the IFC’s guidelines on corporate responsibility and form the requirements for receiving and retaining IFC support. They cover issues such as labour standards, indigenous peoples, biodiversity and pollution -- and include two related policies on disclosure and social and environmental sustainability.

Overall, ICMM welcomes the proposed changes and considers that both policies and Performance Standards are generally positive and have been strengthened by the suggested revisions.

The submission contains two overarching suggestions aimed at reinforcing the policies and Performance Standards in two key respects that we consider to be important in enhancing sustainable development outcomes. These are:

1. balancing the do-no-harm focus of the Performance Standards with a stronger focus on the broader contribution of private sector investment to social and economic development; and

2. finding opportunities in the policies and Performance Standards to emphasise the importance of fostering collaborative engagement between governments, development agencies and civil society.

ICMM has also provided detailed comments on each individual policy and Performance Standard that identifies areas where we consider the proposed changes:

1. improve the original language;

2. introduce some unintentional ambiguity and require some further clarification; or

3. may be perceived as weakening the commitments.

The rationale for our comments is explained.

For more information about the Performance Standards visit the IFC’s website.

Anglo American leads fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa

Hanna Hindstrom — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:03:51 +0100

ICMM member Anglo American is leading the way in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.

This is largely due to their corporately funded anti-retroviral program set up in 2002, which has seen a marked drop in employee fatality rates.

Ten years ago, the company had to train two people to do each job – just in case one of them died. But theprogram – which distributes anti-retroviral medication to all staff free of charge – became a turning point.

"We decided to make the treatment available to all of our staff, despite the fact we didn't know what this would cost," said Anglo's Group Medical Consultant, Dr Brian Brink.

"Doing this was transformational and it solved a significant problem for the company – the fact a lot of our staff were dying."

In 2008, ICMM released a Good Practice Guidance on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which outlines practical steps for mining companies to tackle the three diseases.

The guidance was developed by a group of health specialists from ICMM member companies, including Anglo American. It provides a systematic management process that determines the level of intervention required for HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

Dr Brink describes TB as an "overwhelming worry", saying that there is anecdotal evidence of more and more TB in employees that are not HIV positive.

Anglo thinks the escalating TB epidemic could be more worrying than HIV. Because TB is difficult to diagnose, it is often missed and diagnosed too late.

Anglo has learnt that companies benefit from investing in the health of their staff. As Dr Brink says: "The AIDS story for Anglo is an example of why it works. TB underscores why it is essential."

Read the full article here.

Maximizing Value leaflet now available in Japanese

Hanna Hindstrom — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:50:07 +0100

ICMM is pleased to announce that Maximizing Value: A summary is now available in Japanese.

This leaflet introduces concepts of materials stewardship in the metals and minerals industry, including ways to produce materials in a sustainable fashion and consider what happens to them beyond the refinery.

An English-language version is also available to download.

It is a supplement to the ICMM publication entitled Maximizing Value: Guidance on implementing materials stewardship in the minerals and metals value chain. This guidance contains case studies, practical guidance and outlines recognized business drivers to help companies implement effective materials stewardship strategies.

If you would like to receive printed copies of any of these publications, please contact us at info@icmm.com.

ICMM releases July newsletter on sustainable development

Paul Chenery — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:11:51 +0100

ICMM is pleased to present the July issue of its Good Practice newsletter: Supporting positive change.

This edition is themed around sustainable development and marks the recent meeting of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in New York, where ICMM was able to play a key role.

It includes a special report on various initiatives that member companies are developing in support of sustainable development, such as recycling, public infrastructure, community relations and nature conservation.

There are also two analytical pieces on how mining can contribute to sustainability. In the first, ICMM president Anthony Hodge argues for adopting a partnership approach and in the other Dr John Atherton makes the case for proactive metals stewardship.

Anthony Hodge said: “Mining and metals have a positive role to play in the SD challenge, currently focused on the transition to a low-carbon economy linked to energy security, environmental stewardship, global economic growth, poverty reduction and improved living standards."

OECD supports metals-specific approach to chemicals management

Hanna Hindstrom — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:11:13 +0100

OECD member states have agreed unanimously to discuss a minerals and metals sector approach to chemicals management developed by ICMM and Eurometaux.

The proposal introduces metals-specific concepts and effects datasets for evaluating the health and environmental hazards of chemicals – as outlined in ICMM’s trademark publications, MERAG and HERAG. The development of this methodology has until now been driven by the requirements of the REACH legislation in the European Union but this program will assist in broader uptake.

The new global initiative will be launched in early 2011 with a Science Exchange Workshop hosted by OECD to discuss metals-specific assessment principles.

Industry will work with the OECD and metals commodity associations to develop a complete plan of action, culminating in a full-data submission program in 2012.

OECD members strongly supported the proposed program with enthusiastic backing from the US and Canada in particular, where discussions on the MERAG concepts have already been used in the design of national guidelines.

Australia, Japan and the European Commission were also vocal in their support – with calls to ensure that the program involves as many metals as possible to assist with both environmental and human health challenges in national assessment frameworks.

“Great news for the metals sector after years of effort,” said Peter Glazebrook from Rio Tinto. He went on to praise the growing consensus “that inorganics should be assessed differently to organics. This event is a milestone.”

The OECD plays a significant role in chemicals management, by screening effects data sets for relevance and quality under their globally recognized program. These data sets become a worldwide reference for all OECD countries implementing national legislation on chemicals management.

Other countries that have signed the MAD agreement (Mutual Acceptance of Data), including China, Indonesia, Brazil, Russia and South Africa, are also subject to these guidelines.

ICMM releases Health Impact Assessment summary

Hanna Hindstrom — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:11:22 +0100

A summary version of ICMM’s Good Practice Guidance on Health Impact Assessment, is now available to download.

The document introduces the concept of health impact assessment (HIA) and how mining companies can evaluate the health and well-being effects mining operations have on the local communities in which they operate.

It presents an overview of the steps taken during the HIA process, including the integration of environmental and social impact assessments.

For more information and to view the full publication, click here.

Spanish version of mapping in country partnerships now available

Hanna Hindstrom — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:55:56 +0100

A Spanish-language version of ICMM’s publication Mapping in country partnerships is now available to download.

This document lays the groundwork for Mining: Partnerships for Development by highlighting the range of multi-stakeholder partnerships that already exist amongst ICMM members.

This report maps partnerships across the six priority partnership themes of the Mining: Partnerships for Development initiative: poverty reduction; revenue management; regional development planning; local content; social investment; and dispute resolution.

It has been undertaken in order to provide an overview of past and current partnerships and to encourage companies and others to replicate and scale up these partnerships across their operations and across mining regions.

The research shows that ICMM members, as well as some other companies, are already involved in a range of partnerships in many countries; and that significant opportunities exist to spread and deepen this practice across a broader range of operations and countries.

Newmont recognized for HIV/AIDS and Malaria program

Hanna Hindstrom — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:48:40 +0100

ICMM member Newmont has been voted a leading company in the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention by the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The worldwide coalition of 200 corporate organizations as well as governments and United Nations agencies such as the World Health Organization, voted Newmont Ghana’s work place HIV/AIDS and malaria programs as the best in the workplace HIV/AIDS and malaria category.

As a founding member of ICMM, Newmont has a commitment to “seek continual improvement of our health and safety performance” under principle five of the Sustainable Development Framework.

In 2008, ICMM released a Good Practice Guidance on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which outlines practical steps for mining companies to tackle the three diseases.

Newmont Ghana’s workplace program for HIV/AIDS and malaria was recognized for its key initiatives in disease prevention and control which extends beyond the company’s operations to include contractors, suppliers and local communities.

By using a peer education approach to empower individuals both at work and in its wider stakeholder group, Newmont Ghana has been able to effectively widen the net for voluntary counselling and testing on HIV/AIDS.

In partnership with the Ghana Health Service, the company has also broadened the scope of education and prevention of malaria control through its treated bed net distribution program in its local communities and the workplace.

In a statement released by the Global Business Coalition to honour Newmont Ghana’s success, as this year’s workplace category winner, Newmont Ghana’s program was described as “outstanding”.

The statement also highlights successful results: “The impact has been deep. For example, before the start of the malaria program in 2006, about 8% of employees suffered from malaria each year. In 2009, that number dropped to 1.8%.”

ICMM launches human rights publications in multiple languages

Hanna Hindstrom — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:12:44 +0100

ICMM’s two human rights guidance documents are now available to download in Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, French and Chinese.

Human Rights in the Mining and Metals Industry: Overview, Management Approach and Issues discusses the intersection between the main sectoral and human rights challenges that companies may face, and reviews management approaches to address them.

Human Rights in the Mining and Metals Industry: Handling and Resolving Local Level Concerns and Grievances, provides guidance for companies to design or improve their complaints procedures. The approach outlined in the document is being piloted by a group of ICMM members from June 2010.

A third publication in the human rights series is currently being developed on integrating human rights into corporate due diligence processes. Together the series of three publications will support ICMM members to better understand and effectively address human rights issues across their operations.

ICMM launches biodiversity guidance in French

Hanna Hindstrom — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:00:40 +0100

ICMM launches its guidance on biodiversity in French to coincide with the International Day of Biodiversity this week.

The Good Practice Guidance on Mining and Biodiversity offers practical advice for mining companies to address conservation issues through all stages of their operations.

It was originally developed as part of an extensive dialogue between ICMM and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2005.

The year 2010 is also the International Year of Biodiversity, which ICMM is marking with a series of activities.

In July, it is supporting the first Global Business of Biodiversity Symposium – the world’s largest private-sector focused conference and exhibition on this issue – in London.

In October, ICMM will participate in the tenth “Convention on Biological Diversity” Conference of the Parties (COP) meeting in Nagoya, Japan. The COP is the governing body in charge of implementing the convention and sets the global agenda on biodiversity protection.

ICMM President Anthony Hodge said: “For the mining and metals industry, demonstrating a commitment to the conservation of ecosystems is now an essential element of sustainable development. ICMM members are committed to improving their performance in this area, and also to taking a role in educating governments and the public about the benefits that the mining and metals industry can play in biodiversity conservation.”

ICMM will update and collate new case studies about member activity on biodiversity issues throughout the year.

The Good Practice Guidance on Mining and Biodiversity is now available in English, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Chinese.

ICMM promotes sustainable mining at UNCSD

Fernanda Diez — Tue, 18 May 2010 10:28:37 +0100

ICMM outlined ways to stimulate mining's contribution to society, in an official intervention to the UN Commission for Sustainable Development, in New York this week.

John Groom addressed the plenary session on mining on behalf of business and industry, where he highlighted evidence that mining has led to a 60% poverty reduction in some developing countries.

Referencing research conducted under ICMM’s Resource Endowment initiative, he listed stable fiscal regimes, country capacity and good governance as key factors.

“The problems are very real, but they are neither universal nor inevitable,” he said.

“The key lesson is that no one party working alone can deliver sustainable development. It is critical for key stakeholder groups to work in partnership: companies, governments, civil society, and international donor agencies.”

UNCSD was created after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit with a mandate to implement Agenda 21 – a global plan of action for sustainable development.

Colombian government supports mining partnerships

Hanna Hindstrom — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:43:07 +0100

A government-led action plan to promote mining partnerships in Colombia was developed at an ICMM-supported workshop in Bogota this month.

The plan includes the formation of a committee responsible for promoting mining partnerships within Colombia, to be led by the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy as part of their “Mineria Responsable” campaign.

The committee will consist of representatives of government, industry, civil society and NGOs. Its challenge will be to maintain momentum in developing the mining partnerships needed to promote sustainable development in association with mining activities.

The event took place on 19-20 April and was convened by the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy and Colombian Chamber of Mines with support from ICMM, IFC and the InterAmerican Development Bank.

It attracted a high level of participation, including community representatives and young people, two groups not traditionally in attendance at these types of events.

Other participants came from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Peru, South Africa, and the United States – with representatives from government, industry, academia and NGOs.

The objectives of the workshop were to explore opportunities for collaboration and share experiences, with a view to developing regional action plans.

A formal report of the workshop and its outcomes will be published over the next several weeks and distributed to workshop attendees, and posted on a number of web sites.

New guidance on the prevention of fatalities

Hanna Hindstrom — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:58:12 +0100

ICMM is pleased to present Leadership Matters – Managing Fatal Risk Guidance, a new tool for the mining industry.

It focuses on the pro-active actions and behaviors that may be exercised by managers of operations and site leadership teams to help eliminate the risk of fatalities.

Leadership Matters expresses the intent that leaders set the tone and direction of “What is Important” through visible and felt leadership.

It presents a series of self-diagnostic prompts - built around an internationally recognized risk management framework - to assist in identifying gaps in safety management systems.

Leadership Matters: Managing Fatal Risk Guidance should be read in conjunction with ICMM’s earlier report aimed at Chief Executives and corporate leaders – Leadership Matters: The elimination of fatalities.

Both reports provide checklist-based advice on three key themes:

• Live the vision of zero fatalities

• Focus on high potential events

• Recognize the fallibility of people and systems

For more information please contact Andrew Mackenzie.

ICMM presents its 2009 Annual Review

Hanna Hindstrom — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:10:09 +0100

ICMM is pleased to present the 2009 Annual Review – Making a difference, which is the first review since ICMM underwent a comprehensive strategic review of the organization’s direction and focus.

The resulting Strategy and Action Plan 2010-2012 renews ICMM’s vision, values and goals that stand at the heart of the organization as a whole. You will find details about this exercise throughout the Annual Review.

In this review, there is a detailed look at our seven work program areas, assessing the progress made from 2001 to 2009, with particular attention to achievements in 2009, and outlining the challenges we face in the future. It further includes for the first time an assessment of company performance against their commitments under the ICMM Sustainable Development Framework.

Richard Adkerson said: “The strategic review process has given us a renewed sense of purpose, a focus and a compass for moving forward. Our work continues with the same degree of energy and commitment that has always been a hallmark of ICMM. It is for others to judge the results.”

Anthony Hodge emphasized the collaborative nature of the process. “Throughout, we involved the ICMM family – early architects of ICMM, our current Council of CEOs, our Executive Working Group, leaders of the member associations and our secretariat. The strategic review process has been very rewarding. It involved some passionate discussions, sometimes tough but always marked by honesty, integrity and respect. We thank all who took part.”

We hope you find the report useful, and would value any comments you have on the report itself or any of our current activities. To request printed copies of the report, please e-mail us at info@icmm.com.

ICMM member Newmont recognized for good practice

Hanna Hindstrom — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:22:50 +0100

ICMM member Newmont was ranked 16^th on Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens List, released this month.

Newmont’s latest showing improves on the 2009 rankings in which the company came 39th on the list.

Newmont is a founding member of ICMM and has committed to its Sustainable Development Framework. This comprises the ten principles, public reporting and independent third party assurance.

Details of Newmont’s activities can be found in the company’s annual sustainability report – www.BeyondTheMine.com – which is published as part of Newmont’s ongoing commitments as a member of ICMM.

The 2010 List was based on an analysis of seven categories: Environment, Climate Change, Human Rights, Philanthropy, Employee Relations, Financial Performance and Governance. Company performance is monitored by stakeholders, investors, employees and government regulators.

ICMM and GRI launch new reporting guidance

Hanna Hindstrom — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:08:54 +0000

ICMM and GRI have launched new sustainability reporting guidance for the mining and metals sector, which is now available to download.

The GRI Mining and Metals Sector Supplement was unveiled at the Mining, People and the Environment conference held in conjunction with the annual PDAC convention in Toronto, Canada.

It consists of sector-specific guidance incorporating the GRI G3 Guidelines - the world’s most widely-used guidelines for reporting on economic, environmental and social performance.

Issues such as indigenous rights, resettlement, closure planning, and materials stewardship are now covered in the Supplement.

The aim of developing a Supplement is to enhance sustainability reporting in the sector, by creating a version of the G3 Guidelines that is specifically tailored to its needs.

For more information please contact Aidan Davy.

New guidance on Health Impact Assessment released

Casilda Malagon — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:33:12 +0100

A new publication on Good Practice Guidance on Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is now available to download.

Assessment and management of community health, safety and wellbeing is increasingly becoming an important part of risk management and social responsibility within the mining and metals sector.

The HIA is intended as a practical tool to assist companies in protecting the health and wellbeing of their workforce and local communities.

It presents an overview of how mining and metals operations can affect the health and wellbeing of local communities, describes typical health impact assessment processes and outlines a methodology for undertaking a rapid assessment so that in-house practitioners are involved from the start.

ICMM recognizes the imperative to integrate health impact assessment with environmental and social impact assessments and this publication aims to provide the reader with management tools to achieve this.

ICMM’s interaction on this issue is guided by two of our Sustainable Development Principles:

• To seek continual improvement of our health and safety performance

• To contribute to the social, economic and institutional development of the communities within which we operate.

A sister publication Good Practice Guidance on Occupational Risk Assessment (2009) provides practitioners with the information and tools they need to assess the health and wellbeing of employees and contractors.

For further information, or to provide feedback, please contact Andrew Mackenzie.

Leading mining companies commit to partnerships for development

Hanna Hindstrom — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:29:49 +0000

The Honourable Minister Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister for Land and Natural Resources – Ghana, and Mark Cutifani, CEO of AngloGold Ashanti, jointly launched today a new initiative at the INDABA Mining Convention in Cape Town, South Africa.

Mining: Partnerships for Development is a global initiative to enhance mining’s contribution to development and poverty reduction through multi-stakeholder partnerships.

In a position statement released today, ICMM’s 19 member companies have made a formal policy commitment to actively seek such partnerships across six priority themes - poverty reduction; revenue management; regional development planning; local content; social investment; and dispute resolution.

Mark Cutifani said, ‘Enhancing mining’s developmental impacts is a critically important issue and needs to be undertaken through developing solid partnerships, particularly with host governments and communities. Together with my fellow CEOs on the ICMM Council, I call on governments, donors and civil society to work with us to improve the social and economic outcomes from mining investments’.

ICMM research has identified 41 economies which currently or in recent decades have relied significantly on mining. Many of these are developing countries with high poverty levels, and many are in Africa. However, while some still suffer from the so-called “resource curse”, others – such as Ghana- have been able to prove that this curse is not inevitable.

“Five years of internationally renowned research – in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Bank- indicate that partnerships involving companies and other stakeholders such as governments, donor agencies and civil society, can be a powerful way to tackle development challenges” said Kathryn McPhail, Senior Program Director, ICMM.

In support of the commitment, ICMM has also released Mapping in-country partnerships – a publication that illustrates existing partnerships across the six priority themes. They include a number of partnerships in which AngloGold Ashanti is involved, including an initiative in South Africa to improve opportunities for former mine workers, and company support in Brazil and Argentina for regional development agencies to stimulate economic diversification.

For more information visit www.icmm.com/mpd

Press contact:

Ben Peachey - Communications Director, ICMM

+44 (0) 20 74675099 - Out of hours contact: +44 (0) 7833091038 - Ben.peachey@icmm.com

Fernanda Diez - Senior Communications Officer, ICMM.

+44 (0) 20 74675099 - Out of hours contact: +44 (0) 783309104 - Fernanda.diez@icmm.com

New publication on engaging with artisanal and small-scale miners

Casilda Malagon — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:27:14 +0000

A new publication “Working together – how large-scale miners can engage with artisanal and small-scale miners”, is now available to download.

This document is the product of a fruitful partnership with Communities and Small-Scale Mining (CASM), the International Finance Corporation’s Oil, Gas, and Mining Sustainable Community Development Fund (IFC CommDev) and ICMM.

The interaction between large-scale mining companies and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations has not always been positive, and encounters between the two sectors are increasing. There are a number of ASM sustainable development challenges – including security, human rights and relocation programs – that can require specific ASM consideration.

ICMM is pleased to announce the launch of this guidance document designed to support good relationships between companies and the ASM sector. For the first time, “Working together” brings together a number of approaches and tools for engaging with ASM operators.

It is put forward as a pilot, so that further testing and gathering of good practices with companies can take place in a next phase.

For further information, or to provide feedback, please contact Anne-Marie.Fleury@icmm.com

Leadership Matters - The elimination of fatalities, now available in Portuguese

Arnaud Valle — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:53:02 +0100

The Portuguse language version of Leadership Matters - The elimination of fatalities has been released. This document provides a guide for Senior Leaders in their relentless drive to prevent fatalities.