Australian minerals sector takes accountability to new level
Statement from Tania Constable, CEO, Minerals Council of Australia & Pierre Gratton, President and CEO, Mining Association of Canada
Australia’s minerals industry will introduce the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) system to improve site-level performance through regular and transparent reporting on safety, environmental and social performance, including partnerships with First Nations landholders and communities.
Adopting TSM – developed by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) and implemented worldwide among mining nations – will improve safety, sustainability and environmental, social and governance performance through better measurement and accountability. TSM will also show how operations engage with Traditional Owners while supporting social and economic aspirations and heritage protection.
MCA CEO Tania Constable said the phased introduction of TSM as an expectation of MCA membership will give industry stakeholders, including First Nations partners, local communities and groups, investors and customers, additional assurance and visibility on the sector’s site-level sustainability performance across a range of important practical measures.
TSM builds on existing commitments to Enduring Value – the Australian minerals industry’s corporate-level sustainable development framework – by providing a consistent and independently-verified approach to assess and communicate site level performance, supporting trust and enhancing confidence the industry’s sustainability credentials.
“Australian mining is a global leader in sustainability performance, and it’s time to take another step forward to enhance trust and confidence in the industry by the community, investors and customers,” said Ms. Constable.
“TSM has led to better outcomes for mining communities in Canada and around the world, and it’s great that Australia has chosen TSM as the vehicle to drive environmental and social performance in its mining sector. We are very proud of TSM’s increasingly global reach and power to improve sustainability through measuring site-level performance,” said Gratton.
The system includes guiding principles and standardised protocols to be adapted for Australian implementation, including:
Communities and People: Indigenous and Community Relationships, Safety and Health, Crisis Management and Communications Planning, Preventing Child and Forced Labour
Environmental Stewardship: Biodiversity Conservation Management, Tailings Management, Water Stewardship
Climate Change: Site-level targets and management
The program was established in 2004 by MAC to enable mining companies to meet society’s needs for minerals, metals and energy products in the most socially, economically and environmentally responsible way, with its core strengths including:
Accountability: Participation in TSM will be mandatory for all MCA members for their Australian operations, with assessments conducted at the facility level where the mining activity takes place
Transparency: Members commit to publicly report their performance in line with standardised protocols and indicators
Credibility: TSM includes ongoing consultation with a national Community of Interest Advisory Panel, an independent multi-stakeholder group, to oversee and shape the program for continual The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada’s production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal and mined oil sands, and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca.
The Minerals Council of Australia is the leading advocate for Australia’s world class minerals industry, promoting and enhancing sustainability, profitability and competitiveness.