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Barro Alto. Credit: Anglo AmericanBarro Alto. Credit: Anglo AmericanAudits

Auditoria de vigilância no local em Barro Alto, em junho deste ano

Da ERM CVS, auditor independente aprovado pela IRMA:

A ERM CVS realizará a avaliação IRMA na mina de Barro Alto Anglo American

A ERM CVS busca receber contribuições da comunidade local e de outras partes interessadas

Hoje, 9 de maio de 2025, a ERM CVS anuncia que de 9 a 13 de junho de 2025 visitará as operações de mineração de níquel da Anglo American Barro Alto, no município de Barro Alto, Goiás, Brasil, para conduzir uma avaliação de vigilância independente e terceirizada da operação, por meio da Iniciativa para Garantia de Mineração Responsável – IRMA (da sigla em inglês). O relatório de auditoria inicial das operações de Barro Alto da Anglo American foi divulgado em 7 de fevereiro de 2024, com um nível de realização IRMA 75. O relatório está disponível no site do IRMA.

A auditoria de vigilância no local verificará se as operações da mina continuam alinhadas com o desempenho previamente reconhecido. A equipe de auditoria verificará se os sistemas e controles da mina ainda estão em vigor e funcionando de forma eficaz, se não ocorreram mudanças significativas que afetem negativamente o desempenho da mina e se a mina está progredindo em seu plano de ações corretivas. A auditoria também incluirá entrevistas confidenciais com trabalhadores e engajamento com partes interessadas da comunidade. Após a conclusão da auditoria de vigilância, um relatório será publicado no site da IRMA.

O relatório resumido da auditoria de vigilância fornecerá à Barro Alto e às partes interessadas informações sobre a continuidade das operações, mudanças significativas e evidências de melhoria contínua.

9 a 13 de junho 2025

Seus comentários ajudarão a ERM CVS a avaliar o impacto de Barro Alto nas
comunidades locais e a medir seu desempenho em relação às melhores práticas de mineração. A ERM CVS convida você a se inscrever para uma entrevista com os auditores durante a auditoria de vigilância e/ou a enviar comentários por escrito sobre as operações de Barro Alto da Anglo American usando os dados de contato abaixo. Você deve entrar em contato conosco antes de 2 de junho de 2025 para ser entrevistado. Comentários por escrito enviados antes de 13 de junho de 2025 serão incorporados aos resultados desta auditoria.

Na web:

erm.com/ermcvs/services/sector-specific-certification-schemes/irma-stakeholder-feedback-form/

Email: post@ermcvs.com 

Telefone: +55 11 4933 3280

QR code para acessar o formulário online:

ERM CVS contact QR code

As entrevistas com membros da comunidade ocorrem sem a presença do pessoal da mina. As entrevistas com trabalhadores não pertencentes à gerência ocorrem sem a presença da gerência e podem ser agendadas para ocorrer fora do local de trabalho, mediante solicitação. A ERM CVS protege a identidade de cada
entrevistado, embora a natureza geral dos comentários seja resumida no relatório.

A ERM CVS é uma empresa de auditoria independente, aprovada e capacitada pela IRMA. Para saber mais sobre a ERM CVS, visite ermcvs.com.

A missão da IRMA é proteger o meio ambiente e as pessoas diretamente afetadas pela mineração. Para saber mais sobre a IRMA,
incluindo o processo de avaliação, o Padrão IRMA e para ver relatórios de auditoria de outras minas, visite www.responsiblemining.net

Para mais informações sobre o ciclo de auditoria da IRMA, visite https://responsiblemining.net/what-we-do/assessment/independent-assessment-timeline. Se você tiver dúvidas ou reclamações sobre o processo de avaliação da mina
por parte da IRMA ou sobre o Padrão IRMA, visite https://responsiblemining.net/complaints.

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Barro Alto. Credit: Anglo AmericanBarro Alto. Credit: Anglo AmericanAudits

Onsite Surveillance Audit at Barro Alto this June

From IRMA approved independent auditor ERM CVS:

ERM CVS to Conduct On-site IRMA Assessment of Anglo American’s Barro Alto

ERM CVS Seeks Input from Local Community and Other Stakeholders

9 May 2025, ERM CVS announced that on 9 – 13 June 2025 it will visit the Anglo American Barro Alto nickel mining operations in the Barro Alto municipality, Goiás, Brazil to conduct an independent,  third-party Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) surveillance assessment of the operation.

The initial audit report of Anglo American Barro Alto’s operations was released on 7 February 2024 with an achievement level of IRMA 75. The report is available on the IRMA website.

The onsite surveillance audit will verify that the site operations continue to align with the previously recognized performance. The audit team will verify that the mine’s systems and controls are still in place and are functioning effectively, that no major changes have occurred that negatively affect the mine’s performance, and that the site is progressing on its corrective action plan. The audit will also include confidential interviews with workers and engagement with Indigenous rightsholders and community stakeholders. Following the completion of the surveillance audit, a report will be published on the operation’s audit page on the IRMA website.

The abbreviated surveillance audit summary report will provide SQM and stakeholders insight into continuity of operations, material changes, and evidence of continued improvement.

9 June – 13 June 2025

Your comments will help ERM CVS assess the impact of Barro Alto on local communities and measure its performance against best mining practices. ERM CVS invites you to sign-up for an interview with auditors during the surveillance audit, and/or submit written comments about Anglo American Barro Alto using the contact details below. You must contact us before 2 June 2025 to be interviewed. Written comments submitted before 13 June 2025 will be incorporated into the results of this audit. Contact info:

On the web:

erm.com/ermcvs/services/sector-specific-certification-schemes/irma-stakeholder-feedback-form/

Email: post@ermcvs.com 

Telephone: +55 11 4933 3280

QR code to access online form:

ERM CVS contact QR code

Interviews with members of the community occur without mine personnel present. Interviews with non-management workers occur without management present and can be scheduled to occur offsite on request. ERM CVS protects the identity of individual commenters although the general nature of comments will be summarized in the report.

ERM CVS is an independent IRMA-approved and trained audit firm. For more about ERM CVS visit ermcvs.com.

IRMA’s mission is to protect the environment and people directly affected by mining. For more about IRMA including the assessment process, the IRMA Standard, and to see audit reports of other mines visit www.responsiblemining.net

For more information about the IRMA audit cycle, please visit the Independent Assessment Timeline page. If you have concerns or complaints about the IRMA mine site assessment process or the IRMA Standard visit the IRMA Feedback and Complaints page.

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Credit: Creazilla, published under Creazilla Open LicenseCredit: Creazilla, published under Creazilla Open LicenseBlog

How IRMA Benefits Affected Communities

A new resource for mining affected communities is now available.

Thumbnail of How IRMA Benefits Affected CommunitiesMining-affected communities are the often-forgotten voice among mining stakeholders. But their voice is essential in creating a responsible mining future in the face of increased demand for more mined materials. The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) offers a solution to that problem. IRMA was founded on the belief that every individual impacted by mining should have a say in how responsible mining is defined and measured. By convening experts, advocates, and industry leaders across six key sectors, we have developed an independent, best-practice standard for responsible mining, as well as a transparent process for assessing mine performance against that standard.

Learn how IRMA Benefits Affected Communities Mining Affected Communities

 

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SQM's Salar de Atacama lithium operation. Credit: SQMSQM's Salar de Atacama lithium operation. Credit: SQMAudits

Auditoría de vigilancia in situ en SQM Salar SpA este mes de julio

De ERM CVS, auditor independiente aprobado por IRMA:

ERM CVS realizará una evaluación IRMA in situ de Salar de Atacama (SQM Salar SpA)

ERM CVS solicita la opinión de la comunidad local y otras partes interesadas

El día de hoy 5 de Mayo de 2025, ERM CVS anuncia que del 7 al 11 de Julio de 2025 se visitarán las operaciones de Litio en el Salar de Atacama de SQM Salar SpA, localizada en la Región de Antofagasta en la comuna de San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, para desarrollar una evaluación independiente de vigilancia de la operación por parte de terceros de la Iniciativa para la Garantía de Minería Responsable (IRMA).

El informe de auditoría inicial de SQM Salar SpA Salar de Atacama en su operación fue realizado el 6 Septiembre de 2023 el nivel del logro ante los requisitos fue IRMA 75. El reporte esta disponible en el sitio web de IRMA.

La auditoría de vigilancia in situ verificará que las operaciones del emplazamiento siguen ajustándose al rendimiento reconocido anteriormente. El equipo auditor verificará que los sistemas y controles de la mina siguen vigentes y funcionan eficazmente, que no se han producido cambios importantes que afecten negativamente al rendimiento de la mina y que el sitio avanza en su plan de medidas correctivas. La auditoría también incluirá entrevistas confidenciales con los trabajadores y el compromiso con los titulares de derechos indígenas y las partes interesadas de la comunidad. Una vez concluida la auditoría de vigilancia, se publicará un informe en el sitio web de IRMA.

El informe resumido de la auditoría de vigilancia proporcionará a SQM y a las partes interesadas, información sobre la continuidad de las operaciones, los cambios materiales y la mejora continua.

7 al 11 de Julio de 2025

Sus comentarios ayudarán a ERM CVS a evaluar el impacto de SQM Salar de Atacama en las comunidades locales y a medir su rendimiento con respecto a las mejores prácticas mineras. ERM CVS le invita a inscribirse para una entrevista con auditores de seguimiento y/o escribir comentarios sobre Salar de Atacama SQM utilizando los canales de comunicación que se muestran a continuación. Para ser entrevistado debe ponerse en contacto con nosotros antes del 30 de Junio de 2025. Los comentarios escritos deberán ser enviados antes del 11 de Julio de 2025 para ser considerados.

Sitio web:

erm.com/ermcvs/services/sector-specific-certification-schemes/irma-stakeholder-feedback-form/

Correo: post@ermcvs.com

Telefono: +51 1708 0164

Código QR para ingreso al formato

ERM CVS contact QR code

Las entrevistas con personas de la comunidad se realizarán en ausencia de personal de la mina. Las entrevistas con los trabajadores que no pertenezcan a la dirección se realizarán, sin personal de la dirección y si se solicita fuera de las instalaciones. ERM CVS protege la identidad de los entrevistados, sin embargo, los comentarios se resumirán en el informe.

ERM CVS es una empresa de auditoría independiente aprobada y formada por IRMA. Para más información sobre ERM CVS, visite ermcvs.com.

La misión de IRMA es proteger el medio ambiente y a las personas directamente afectadas por la minería. Para más información sobre IRMA, incluido el proceso de evaluación, la Norma IRMA y los informes de auditoría de otras minas, visite: www.responsiblemining.net.

Para más información sobre el ciclo de auditoría IRMA, visite: https://responsiblemining.net/what-we-do/assessment/independent-assessment-timeline/. Si tiene alguna duda o queja sobre el proceso de evaluación de minas IRMA o sobre el Estándar IRMA, visite: responsiblemining.net/complaints.

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SQM's Salar de Atacama lithium operation. Credit: SQMSQM's Salar de Atacama lithium operation. Credit: SQMAudits

Onsite Surveillance Audit at SQM Salar SpA this July

From IRMA approved independent auditor ERM CVS:

ERM CVS to Conduct On-site IRMA Assessment of Salar de Atacama (SQM Salar SpA)

ERM CVS Seeks Input from Local Community and Other Stakeholders

Today, 5 May 2025, ERM CVS announces that on 7 – 11 July 2025 it will visit the SQM Salar SpA’s Salar de Atacama lithium mining operations in San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta Region, Chile to conduct an independent, third-party Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) surveillance assessment of the operation.

The initial audit report of SQM Salar SpA Salar de Atacama operations was released on 6 September 2023 with an achievement level of IRMA 75. The report is available on the operation’s audit page on the IRMA website.

The onsite surveillance audit will verify that the site operations continue to align with the previously recognized performance. The audit team will verify that the mine’s systems and controls are still in place and are functioning effectively, that no major changes have occurred that negatively affect the mine’s performance, and that the site is progressing on its corrective action plan. The audit will also include confidential interviews with workers and engagement with Indigenous rightsholders and community stakeholders. Following the completion of the surveillance audit, a report will be published on the operation’s audit page on the IRMA website.

The abbreviated surveillance audit summary report will provide SQM and stakeholders insight into continuity of operations, material changes, and evidence of continued improvement.

7 July – 11 July 2025

Your comments will help ERM CVS assess the impact of SQM Salar de Atacama on local communities and measure its performance against best mining practices. ERM CVS invites you to sign-up for an interview with auditors during  the surveillance audit, and/or submit written comments about SQM Salar de Atacama using the contact details below. You must contact us before 30 June 2025 to be interviewed. Written comments submitted before 11 July 2025 will be incorporated into the results of this audit. Contact info:

On the web:

erm.com/ermcvs/services/sector-specific-certification-schemes/irma-stakeholder-feedback-form/

Email: post@ermcvs.com 

Telephone: +51 1708 0164

QR code to access online form:

ERM CVS contact QR code

Interviews with members of the community occur without mine personnel present. Interviews with non-management workers occur without management present and can be scheduled to occur offsite on request. ERM CVS protects the identity of individual commenters although the general nature of comments will be summarized in the report.

ERM CVS is an independent IRMA-approved and trained audit firm. For more about ERM CVS visit ermcvs.com.

IRMA’s mission is to protect the environment and people directly affected by mining. For more about IRMA including the assessment process, the IRMA Standard, and to see audit reports of other mines visit www.responsiblemining.net

For more information about the IRMA audit cycle, please visit the Independent Assessment Timeline page. If you have concerns or complaints about the IRMA mine site assessment process or the IRMA Standard visit the IRMA Feedback and Complaints page.

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Image by Vectorportal.com, CC BYImage by Vectorportal.com, CC BYGovernment

How IRMA Benefits Governments and Policymakers

The Case for IRMA_Governments and Policymakers thumbnailA new resource for the governments and policymakers is now available.

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) seeks to be a collaborative partner with governments. Government actors, from intergovernmental bodies to tribal governments and national and subnational government bodies, are key partners in accomplishing IRMA’s mission and vision for responsible mining. IRMA complements, but can never replace, the important role of governments to create and implement robust laws and regulations.

Governments, policymakers, and advocates use the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining, based on over a decade of global multi-stakeholder dialogue, as a benchmark for internationally recognized best practices and the IRMA system as an avenue to provide market recognition for responsible actors. Governments and policymakers increasingly work with IRMA to incentivize responsible supply chains and enhance trade competitiveness.

Learn more by reading How IRMA Benefits Governments and Policymakers.

 

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Black, Chinese & White Laborers in S. African Gold Mine [c1890-1923] Frank & Frances Carpenter. Credit: ralphrepo/CCA 2.0 generic licenseBlack, Chinese & White Laborers in S. African Gold Mine [c1890-1923] Frank & Frances Carpenter. Credit: ralphrepo/CCA 2.0 generic licenseLabor

How IRMA Benefits Labor Organizations

How IRMA benefits Labor thumbnailA new resource for the labor sector is now available on the IRMA website.

Labor unions and workers, as key stakeholders in mining operations, have a significant interest in how workplace conditions, labor rights, and safety standards are managed. This is particularly important as the industry expands to meet the growing demand for minerals essential to the global energy transition. Current and emerging regulations, along with the expectations of workers, labor organizations, and mining companies seeking to mitigate risk and maintain a stable workforce, are driving the industry to adopt more transparent and responsible labor practices.

IRMA recognizes the challenges workers and labor organizations face, including inconsistencies in regulatory enforcement, historical gaps in labor protections, and the complexities of operating in high-risk regions. How IRMA Benefits Labor summarizes how labor organizations and workers can use IRMA’s credible system to advocate for their rights, improve working conditions, and ensure greater accountability in the mining industry as it expands to meet the growing demand.

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Credit: Mohamed Hassan via Creative Commons - CC0 LicenseCredit: Mohamed Hassan via Creative Commons - CC0 LicenseFinance

How IRMA Benefits the Finance Sector

The Case of IRMA Finance thumbnailA new resource for the finance sector is now available on the IRMA website.

The mining industry and companies using mined materials—and their financiers and investors—share a need to optimize the benefits delivered to communities and workers to de-risk mine operations and build resilience across the mineral supply chain. The world is now expecting even more from the mining sector, especially given the role it will play in the global energy transition. Finance will benefit from more responsible mining and, at this critical juncture, has a critical role to play in incentivizing it.

How IRMA Benefits Finance describes how IRMA advances mining performance and de-risks the supply chain, focuses on continuous improvement, assesses material impacts and systemic risks, and simplifies the mining standards landscape.

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Stakeholder Sectors

IRMA Board Meeting Cross-Stakeholder Dialogue

As part of IRMA’s annual in-person board meeting hosted by Mercedes-Benz in early March, IRMA convened a dialogue between 80+ attendees to better understand how they can work together and also use the IRMA system to achieve their diverse goals.

For a full afternoon, attendees exchanged learnings and ideas about how to grapple with ever-present questions about transparency, traceability, and the cost of responsible mining, all with the aim of hearing from each other and taking back fresh ideas on how to inform their own work.

The dialogue occurred in two parts. To begin, IRMA Board members representing our six governing houses – Meshack Mbangula from Mining Affected Communities United in Action in South Africa, Glen Mpufane from IndustriALL Global Union, Jim Wormington from Human Rights Watch, Johannes Danz from Mercedes, Katie Fergusson from Anglo American, and Ashley Claxton from Royal London Asset Management – each how they have used an IRMA audit to advance their organizations’ goals. IRMA Stuttgart Stakeholder Cross-Dialogue Panel

After that all attendees divided into nine groups to discuss one of three issues:

  1. Is there such a thing as too much transparency? Although transparency benefits all stakeholders, it can also bring heightened scrutiny and criticism for mines, consumer-facing brands, and investors. What do diverse stakeholders most need when it comes to valuing transparency?
  2. What do diverse stakeholders most need when it comes to market signals and traceability given the indirect contact between the many upstream and downstream players in the mineral supply chain?
  3. What’s really at play when it comes to the cost of an IRMA audit? Stakeholders find audit cost concerns are more related to the cost of improvements that result from an IRMA audit’s transparency, rather than the audit itself. How can stakeholders signal the value of an audit?

Some of the discussion results:

  • For mines, IRMA audits and the audit process provide a clear roadmap and driver toward operational excellence. The audit is as much for a mine’s own operational and strategic benefit as it is for anybody else’s.
  • For impacted communities, nothing about us without us. The *process* of the IRMA audit provides as much or more value to communities as the audit itself. It provides an opportunity for inclusiveness, fairness, dignity, and importantly, a voice.
  • As demand for mining rapidly increases, so too does the need for capital to finance it. For investors, IRMA audits provide the necessary visibility and assurance to credibly understand an investment’s risk profile and suitability for investment, thus providing a clearer path to enabling that access to capital.

The ability to catalyze candid discussion amongst wary stakeholders is one of the benefits of IRMA’s governance model, the only place in modern industrial mining where civil society has equal power and voice to the private sector.

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Stakeholder Engagement and Remedy panel at Mining Indaba 2025Stakeholder Engagement and Remedy panel at Mining Indaba 2025Africa

Indaba 2025: Advancing Stakeholder Engagement and Remedy

On February 6th of 2025, IRMA had the privilege of hosting an interactive workshop on “Advancing Stakeholder Engagement and Remedy in the Mining Sector” as a side session of Investing in African Mining Indaba and Alternative Mining Indaba. The workshop reunited stakeholders in mining and responsible sourcing, as well as representatives of NGOs, workers, and local communities for an engaging discussion on the future of responsible mining.

The keynote

Estelle Levin at IRMA's Mining Indaba eventThe workshop was opened with a keynote by Estelle Levin-Nally, a human rights expert and Founder of Levin Sources, who shared her experience with remedy and its significance. She highlighted that remediation is one of the three core pillars of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and as these principles are increasingly being incorporated into national and international law, companies must demonstrate compliance, not only to meet legal requirements but also to align with business partner expectations.

She emphasized that unremediated past harms can leave individuals aggrieved, which undermines trust, discourages participation in company or regulatory initiatives, increases the likelihood of resistance and conflict, and hinders cooperative efforts that could maximize positive impacts for both business and society. Therefore, remedy serves as a pathway to healing for victims and their families, as the consequences of unremediated harms often persist across generations.

Estelle also shared insights into the challenges of implementing effective remedy in the mining sector. These include weak rule of law in many jurisdictions, which limits access to justice; autocratic regimes, which can lead to deregulation; the exclusion of remedy as a sixth step in due diligence under the OECD Minerals Guidance; and the complexity of different remedy pathways, which can create confusion for rightsholders regarding their entitlements and the mechanisms available to them. She concluded by stressing that business partners and civil society can do more to support affected rightsholders in understanding and accessing remedy when harms occur. While companies must be prepared for remediation, they should always prioritize prevention.

The workshop

Cecilia Mattea, IRMA’s Europe Regional Lead, continued the discussion by introducing the draft IRMA Remedy Framework and its purpose to respond to communities and workers who have been harmed by mineral exploration, development, and processing. Because the absence of remediation often leads to conflict and mistrust, the remedy framework could provide meaningful solutions for past and ongoing harms and a pathway for mining companies to regain trust. 

She also outlined and explained IRMA’s accountability mechanisms that support remediation efforts, including IRMA-Standard requirements for operational-level grievance mechanism; IRMA Membership Principles and Policy of Association and its policy of disassociation; the IRMA Feedback and Complaints Mechanism; and, finally, the IRMA Remedy Framework, which is currently under development.

Participants were then invited to reflect on and engage with key questions regarding the Remedy Framework. For example:

  • What should the IRMA Remedy Framework include? What would you like to see?
  • How far past should remediation go? How to ensure that communities are aware of their rights, and whose role is that?
  • Should the IRMA remedy framework be limited to assessed sites? 

Cecilia shared some of the suggestions IRMA received from previous engagements with stakeholders, NGOs, and remediation experts. These recommendations include ensuring that the framework is inclusive in its design, reflects the complexities on the ground, aligns with regulatory requirements such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and does not impose an additional burden on Indigenous Peoples but rather complements existing tools.

As participants engaged in the discussion, interesting points were raised regarding how governments can engage in this process and how to ensure it doesn’t restrict access to remedy through the judicial system but rather establishes a positive link to it; which other institutions could play a role in the remediation process; how traditional leaderships structures could contribute to the process; and whether it would be better for IRMA to support access to remedy rather than create a new framework.

At the end of the session, Johannes Danz, sustainability expert at Mercedes Benz, shared the business perspective on supporting the project and standards, highlighting their benefits in fostering interaction across the supply chain, resolving conflicts, building trust, strengthening relationships, and improving access to remedy.

The workshop provided an invaluable learning experience across sectors through dialogue and engagement, fostering a deeper understanding of the role of the IRMA Remedy Framework and stakeholders’ expectations.

IRMA thanks all the participants for their contributions in the workshop.

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