Organisational overview and strategy
THE MINERALS COUNCIL AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT As an associate member of the ICMM, which is dedicated to ensuring a safe, fair, responsible and sustainable global mining industry, the Minerals Council and our members, through the Membership Compact, support the ICMM’s 10 principles for sustainable development in the mining and metals industry.
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Apply ethical business practices and sound systems of corporate governance and transparency to support sustainable development.
3 Integrate sustainable development in corporate strategy and decision-making processes.
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8 Facilitate and support the knowledge-base and systems for responsible design, use, re-use, recycling and disposal of products containing metals and minerals.
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• mercury risk management • indigenous peoples and mining • transparency of mineral revenues • tailings governance • mining partnerships for development • water stewardship
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Pursue continual improvement in environmental performance issues, such as water stewardship, energy use and climate change.
• climate change policy design Pursue continual improvement in health and safety performance with the ultimate goal of zero harm.
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In addition, the ICMM has developed position statements, that include several mandatory requirements, to augment the ICMM 10 Principles for sustainable development on the following aspects: • mining and protected areas
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Implement effective risk-management strategies and systems based on sound science and which account for stakeholder perceptions of risks.
Respect human rights and the interests, cultures, customs and values of employees and communities affected by our activities.
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Contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and integrated approaches to land-use planning.
10 Proactively engage Pursue continual improvement in social performance and contribute to the social, economic and institutional development of host countries and communities.
key stakeholders on sustainable development challenges and opportunities in an open and transparent manner. Effectively report and independently verify progress and performance.
Human Rights Framework Towards the end of 2018, the ICMM became the first industry body to commit to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and their implementation, for which new membership requirements have been developed and benchmarks set for the industry’s environmental and social performance. In line with this, the Minerals Council has developed a Human Rights Framework for the South African mining industry. The Minerals Council is currently engaging external stakeholders relating to the content of the Human Rights Framework and assisting our members to understand and internalise its implications.
