Monthly Archives: July 2024

Press Release

KPMG PRI approved to conduct IRMA audits

29 July 2024By

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to announce that KPMG Performance Registrar Inc. (KPMG PRI) is now approved to conduct independent assessments of mining operations against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. KPMG PRI joins ERM CVS and SCS Global Services to become the third IRMA approved verification body.

IRMA is a system in three parts:

  1. a global standard describing best practices for environmental and social responsibility, against which mines at any point in their journey to improve practices may be measured;
  2. an assessment process to measure achievement of mining operations against that standard such that the process builds trust in the independence of that assessment, and value for more responsible practice; and
  3. equal governance and oversight by mining affected stakeholders such that communities, labor unions and other public sector representatives have the same voting power as mining companies and other private sector representatives.

KPMG PRI will transparently and independently assess those mining operations which volunteer to be assessed against the 26 chapters and 400+ requirements of the IRMA Standard. Verification bodies announce their assessments in advance so that assessors can interview not just mine management, but also affected community members and mine workers (among others).

“The addition of KPMG PRI as an approved verification body underscores IRMA’s commitment to answering the increasing demand for responsibly sourced minerals.” — Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director of IRMA.

“KPMG PRI is proud to become an IRMA approved verification body. We believe mining must be done responsibly, and the public and private sectors need transparent, independent assessments of mineral extraction that they can trust. KPMG’s reputation as a trusted assurance provider globally, combined with our deep knowledge of the mining sector means that we are well positioned to provide these services.” — Kim Swanzey, ESG and Sustainability Partner, KPMG LLP.

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At the Unki audit. Credit: Michelle SmithAt the Unki audit. Credit: Michelle SmithBlog

Community perspectives on IRMA: The Unki Mine audit

22 July 2024By

In late June the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA, an IRMA member) published Community success stories: Tracking service delivery and environmental issues, a blog explaining the Shurugwi Development Trust’s experiences with the independent audit of Anglo American’s Unki platinum group metals mine in Zimbabwe. We excerpt it below:

Through meetings facilitated by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), Unki mine embarked on a third party-audit process against the IRMA standard in 2019 that involved the Shurugwi community, [achieved] IRMA 75 in the audit report. In 2022, a surveillance audit for Unki Mine was done, communities shared their concerns with the audit firm SCS Global. This was after the mine publicly audited against the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) [voluntary] standard for Responsible Mining in 2019.

ZELA, which is the only Zimbabwean member of the IRMA Civil Society Organisations global working group on worker and community engagement rights participated in development of data collection tools for communities such as the Community impact survey, IRMA Audits and Communities, sample letter to mining company, tools that can be used to monitor service delivery, engage with mining companies and government. The IRMA processes have enhanced Unki Mine’s relationship with the community, through the community engagement forum which meets quarterly to discuss the company’s mining operations in the community.

Benefits of the Unki IRMA processes and audit to the Shurugwi Community

  • There is now great improvement in the relationship and trust between the company and the community.
  • There is now an active quarterly community engagement forum meeting where 2 people were selected from each of the surrounding villages to represent the community. The relationship is promoting access to information which is enshrined in Section 62 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
  • In addition to the Community Engagement Forum, there is an emergency and response Coordinator which includes village chairpersons.
  • The IRMA audit report is a source of information, assists in identifying gaps and strengths to improve our engagements with government through evidence gathering on mining operations and their impact on communities’ wellbeing, rights and the environment.
  • The IRMA audit reports assist us in carrying out our advocacy work and provides us with information to participate in national, regional and international dialogues such as Alternative Mining Indaba.
  • Unki mine funded 4 partners – Technoserve, World vision, Zvandiri and Apostolic Women Empowerment Trust (AWET) – to implement community development projects.
  • The company is capacitating women with knowledge on their health and empowering them to stand for their rights. It also encourages women in the apostolic sect to register and go for hospital deliveries.  In support, AWET also trains behavior change facilitators (BCFs) on safe motherhood.
  • Unki mine promoted hygiene in the community, building Double Blair Ventilated Improved Pit Latrines in ward 19 and part of ward 18 (now ward 4).
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UN Secretary General's Critical Energy Transition Minerals Panel in CopenhagenUN Secretary General's Critical Energy Transition Minerals Panel in CopenhagenEnergy Transition

Inform the UN Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals

17 July 2024By

Input Requested by 30 July to Inform the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals

This July IRMA participated in the first in-person meeting of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The panel is charged with developing “a set of global and common voluntary principles on issues which are key to building trust between governments, communities and industry, enhancing transparency and investment and ensuring a just and equitable management of sustainable, responsible, and reliable value chains for terrestrial critical energy transition minerals.”

The work of the panel is a UN-wide effort with technical support from the UN Environment Program, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, and other UN bodies.

Panel Timeline: April to September 2024

The panel is working under a tight timeline. UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the panel on 2 December 2023 at COP28 in Dubai. The panel was launched on 26 April this year and the first substantive panel meeting was held in a virtual format on 22 May.

Between the May and early July, panel members worked across four workstreams divided into four related topics:

  1. Benefit sharing, local value addition and economic diversification;
  2. Transparent and fair trade and investments;
  3. Sustainable, responsible and just value chains; and
  4. Mineral value chain stability and resilience.

Each workstream met twice in virtual formats to discuss and propose principles and recommended actions in preparation for the in-person 8-9 July panel meeting in Copenhagen. Prior to the Copenhagen meeting, a set of Civil Society Recommendations for the panel, supported by over 136 organizations around the world, was submitted to inform the panel’s work.

The last panel meeting will be held in person 20-21 August in Nairobi. The final panel report is to be submitted to the Secretary-General by early September 2024.

Opportunity to Submit Comments

On 2 July the UN published a panel background paper and opened a portal for public submission of comments to inform the panel. The portal will remain open through 30 July. We encourage you to submit comments and share the opportunity to do so with your networks.

IRMA also welcomes your recommendations regarding our engagement in the panel and any aspect of the panel’s work. Please contact us at contact@responsiblemining.net to inform this effort.

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