Stakeholder Newsletter: March, 2022
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No matter where we are in the world, metals and minerals are a part of our everyday life. And simply put, the ‘green’ version of almost anything will mean the use of even more metals. But ICMM doesn’t see this as a license for industry to mine them at all costs. Quite the contrary, we see the imperative to mine with principles.
It is our fundamental belief that when mined and produced responsibly, minerals and metals can be transformational for local communities and entire nations. Taxes, jobs, skills, infrastructure, and community services are just some of the ways that host countries have experienced the benefits of mining. We are committed to maximising these, while minimising any potential for harm to people or planet. I cannot think of a more important and exciting time to be a part of the mining industry. And I am pleased to share with you – our closest stakeholders – ICMM’s 2022–2024 Strategy and Action Plan.
You will see, among many changes, that we have a renewed vision of ‘a safe, just and sustainable world enabled by responsibly produced minerals and metals’, and introduced a dynamic purpose statement – ‘leadership through collaboration to enhance the contribution of mining and metals to sustainable development’.
In stating our Purpose, we asked ourselves “what would the world miss if ICMM didn’t exist?” I think the answer is – an example of the progress that’s possible when we collectively focus on helping to improve the lives of people and the state of our planet. That’s something I am honoured and excited to spend my days doing. If you’ll indulge me, take a look at this short video on what our new purpose means to me here.
While the last three years have been pivotal for ICMM and the mining industry, arguably the next three will be even more so. Over the course of our new strategy, we will show the courage of our convictions, while remaining open to new ideas of better to fulfil our potential and contribute to a better world. The Strategy and Action Plan sets out strategic priorities that put us on a course towards achieving breakthroughs in the critical areas of climate and environmental resilience, social performance, governance and transparency, and innovation for sustainability. You can effectively read these as ESG-I.
In 2022 specifically, we will initiate work across all 12 project areas. You can expect to see the launch our new framework for reporting social and economic benefit to local communities and a focus on target setting and Scope 3 reporting that supports the delivery of our 2021 climate commitments. We will focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, building on our previous work in this area under our ‘Skills Initiative’, and finally, we will sustain our efforts in implementing the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management and creating momentum around tailings innovation.
ICMM was founded in a spirit of open engagement, and this is central to how we will continue to work. I welcome to opportunity to discuss our strategy with you directly and if you are keen to chat to me, just hit reply.
Ro Dhawan
CEO, ICMM
Features
Making Mining Part of the Mainstream Conversation on Sustainability
There is no net zero transition without the metals and minerals needed to power it.
As stewards of the minerals and metals that are critical to decarbonisation and sustainable development, it is imperative that mining earns a place in the mainstream conversation on sustainability. Last month, our CEO Ro Dhawan sat down for an interview with Sky News’ Hannah Thomas-Peter on the Daily Climate Show to discuss the widening supply/demand gap for the metals needed to support the transition to a low carbon future. During the interview Ro asserts that we cannot rely on primary production methods alone, if we’re to keep up with demand, and suggests that we must also look towards innovative approaches to recycling and re-mining waste. The circular economy is a new strand of work for ICMM and we look forward to sharing more details of our work in this field soon. The interview was broadcast as part of Sky News’ Daily Climate Show and a supporting article is available to view here.
If you missed it, you can also catch Ro speaking to Robert Llewellyn on the Fully Charged PLUS webcast. In this conversation, Robert and Ro discuss the perception and misconceptions of mining and how it is a much bigger part of our lives than we all realise.
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New Tools for Managing Social Performance
Our individual and collective social performance has never been more important – indeed, at BMO’s Global Metals and Mining Conference held earlier this week, ICMM's Ro Dhawan was joined by member CEOs Tom Palmer and Eduardo Bartolomeo to discuss how ‘mission critical’ it was. Our new strategy doubles-down on efforts to facilitate beneficial outcomes for communities and wider society through the activities, engagements, and commitments of members. Critical to this will be the effective management and oversight of social performance.
We are therefore pleased to share with you our new tools for social performance. They comprise a set of six resources that provide practical guidance to mining companies so that they can better understand what social performance is, why it is important, and how it can better be integrated into business decision making. They are freely available to download and use from our website.
Improving social performance requires us to stand in the shoes of the community or those directly impacted by our activities-how do we like what we see when we look back at ourselves?
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Tailings Training Materials
The importance of accelerating action on tailings was brought into sharp relief at the start of our last strategy cycle. Three years on from the catastrophic dam collapse at Vale’s Corrego do Feijão mine in Brumadinho, we remember the victims of this devastating event, and are focused on broadening uptake and implementation of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management. To this end, ICMM has recently published training materials based on the content of ICMM’s Tailings Management: Good Practice Guide. The materials include practical tools, group activities and facilitator notes to deliver a truly interactive workshop. The training materials have been developed in slide pack format and can be customised to suit individual site or company needs. Discover the training materials here.
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External Drivers Shaping the Future of the Mining Industry
We understand that current and future disruptions from climate change, automation, and the changing footprint of mining are affecting the ability of communities to take part in opportunities in and beyond mining. And over the last three years we have laid foundations for a long-term commitment to support our colleagues and community members in building the skills to thrive in a changing world. These foundations include research, published in December 2021 that identifies critical external drivers – such as climate change, the critical minerals rush, geo- and socio-political instability – outside of the industry’s control that have the potential to shape how mining operations are developed and managed. Read the issues brief here.
As we look to the future, our work in this area will consolidate all that we have learned to define a skills agenda for the mining sector fit for the next decade and beyond.
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Why Corporate Transparency on Water is Important
Water availability is a growing global challenge shared across countries, industry sectors and society. In an article written with WWF's Alexis Morgan, and published by Mining Magazine, ICMM's Dawn Brock and Katie Osborne discuss the pressing need for greater transparency and comparability by all those who use and manage water resources. This is especially true for the mining and metals industry, considering its high water-dependency for mineral processing, dust suppression, slurry transport and employee needs, and its potential for impacts on water quality and ecosystems. Read the full article here.
Up-Coming Events
In the coming months we are taking part in a number of in-person and virtual events. Details on how to participate are provided below:
IOM3: COP26 & beyond: The pathway to net zero
IOM3 London & Online • 11 March 2022
ICMM Director for Innovation and Sustainability Christian Spano is sitting down to discuss the energy transition and the opportunities and challenges facing the mining industry alongside IOM3’s Chair Dr Emma Wilcox. The session is available to watch online and also in-person. Register for the event here.
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Fully Charged Live UK 2022: Is the car industry (and its suppliers) in for an electric shock?
Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, UK • 29 April 2022
ICMM CEO Ro Dhawan is speaking on a panel focusing on the automotive supply chain with demand for electric chars increasing. Ro will focus on mining’s unique role in producing the metals needed to support this demand. Book your tickets here.
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Mining Indaba
Cape Town, South Africa • 9–12 May 2022
Ro and other members of the ICMM team are heading to mining Indaba this year alongside a number of our members to discuss the critical issues facing our industry including climate change, community engagement and innovation. We will confirm our schedule soon but in the meantime you can register for the conference here.
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Financial Times: Future of the Car Summit: The practicalities of securing a sustainable EV battery supply
London, UK & Online • 12 May 2022
Ro will be joining representatives from car manufactures such as Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover to discuss collaboration with supply chain partners, responsible production of critical raw materials, and how to manage the increase in demand for these materials. The session is available to watch online and also in-person – register here.
And Finally...
To deliver this impactful agenda, our team must grow! We are recruiting for a number of exciting roles across the breadth of our project and communications functions. We are being supported in this endeavour by Acre, a market-leader in sustainability and safety recruitment. To find out more, visit the dedicated ICMM portal on the Acre website here.
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