IRMA is dedicated to climate action through the IRMA Standard and system, on local to international levels. This requires action from a holistic lens, reducing greenhouse gas emissions alongside the wide range of other topics covered in the IRMA Standard, including protecting the rights of affected communities, Indigenous rights holders, and workers. This blog highlights recent IRMA engagements and partnerships including with the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, Climate Week NYC, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (COP), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP, and beyond. We welcome you to collaborate with us on climate action, including in events leading up to and at the next Climate COP (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil!
The UN Secretary General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals
IRMA was honored to be a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. The Panel’s report Resourcing the Energy Transition: Principles to Guide Critical Energy Transition Minerals Towards Equity and Justice outlines seven Guiding Principles and five Actionable Recommendations to support “a new paradigm rooted in equity and justice.” The Guiding Principles “based on existing norms, commitments and legal obligations outlined in United Nations texts,” cover human rights; safeguarding the environment and biodiversity; justice and equity; benefit sharing, value addition, and economic diversification; responsible and fair investments, finance, and trade; transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption measures necessary to ensure good governance; and multilateral and international cooperation. The Actionable Recommendations include creating a High-Level Expert Advisory Group; a global traceability, transparency, and accountability framework; a Global Mining Legacy Fund; an initiative to empower artisanal and small-scale miners to foster development, environmental stewardship, and human rights; and targets and timelines for material efficiency and circularity.
The Panel and its report are a remarkable achievement and platform for action. While the work of the Panel, outlined in the Terms of Reference for Panel Members, formally concluded with completion of the report in September 2024, it is likely that many Panel Members will continue to work on implementation, including through the High-Level Expert Advisory Group proposed under the Actionable Recommendations. The UN Secretary-General, Climate Action Team, UN Conference on Trade and Development, UN Environment Programme, Panel Members, and others are using key regional and international forums to socialize the report and build support for implementation. Last year these forums included the UN General Assembly, Summit of the Future, and Climate Week in New York City; the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
IRMA values relationships built across sectors through this process and will continue to promote implementation of the Guiding Principles, each already integrated into the IRMA Standard and system, while working collaboratively toward implementation of the Actionable Recommendations. Learn more about IRMA’s experience with the Panel and suggest next steps by contacting us at info@responsiblemining.net.
Climate Week NYC
IRMA participated in an event-filled Climate Week NYC in September 2024 where we raised awareness around IRMA and helped socialize the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals report.
Some highlights of the week included:
IRMA Law & Policy Director, Kristi Disney Bruckner, spoke at a Climate Champions Team Fireside Chat and participated in a roundtable on transition minerals where we launched the report Responsible, Rights-Based & Nature Positive Critical Energy Transition Mineral Production in Africa, co-authored by the African Natural Capital Alliance, The African Climate Foundation, the Climate Champions Team, and IRMA.
IRMA Executive Director, Aimee Boulanger, spoke at the UN Global Goals Summit Business Fights Poverty Event, “Ensuring Mining for the Low-Carbon Energy Boom Addresses the Full Range of the SDGs.” Access the meeting summary and recordings here.
Kristi represented IRMA at the high-level roundtable “Strengthening Local Value Chains for Energy Transition Solutions in the Global South,” hosted by the Council on Critical Minerals Development in the Global South, facilitated by Sustainable Energy for All, Global South Clean Transportation Centre, Institute for Transportation Studies at UC Davis, and Swaniti Global, in partnership with the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The Open Government Partnership, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and IRMA, with support from the Urban Sustainability Program at Brooklyn College, CUNY, hosted a panel and discussion on “Pathways to a Credible Just Energy Transition” at CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies.
Biodiversity COP (COP 16)
IRMA Regional Lead for Americas and the Caribbean, Adan Olivares Castro, represented IRMA at COP 16 in Cali, Colombia, held from 21 October to 1 November 2024. At the invitation of the Dutch National Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN NL), Adan represented IRMA as a panelist for the event “Prosper with Nature: Safeguarding Biodiversity and Human Rights in Energy Transition Mineral Supply Chains,” co-organized by Indonesian NGO Auriga Nasantara, Ghanian NGO A Rocha Ghana, the Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability, Responsible Critical Mineral Initiative, Rainforest Foundation Norway, and Mighty Earth. The event highlighted the impact of the significant increase in demand for critical energy transition minerals in various biodiversity-rich countries and actions to promote No-go zone areas for resource extraction. Remarks by a delegate of Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development closed the session.
Adan Olivares Castro speaking at COP16
“…without having a clear, comprehensive understanding of No-go zones on a community-by-community level, it is very difficult to understand exactly what is feasible for extraction… further integrating Indigenous knowledge systems in the 2nd version of the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining puts Indigenous rights in terms of self-governance at the center of an energy transition.” – Adan Olivares Castro
Throughout the Conference, Adan held meetings with Colombian rights holders, NGOs, and mining companies to increase IRMA’s presence in the country and attended sessions focused on mining impacts and traceability of mineral supply chains, including “A Safe & Just Energy Transition: Securing Indigenous Peoples Rights and Protecting Nature in the Sourcing of Transition Minerals” and the launch of the Global Effort on Traceability and Accountability in the Transition Minerals Sector.
Climate COP (COP 29)
IRMA participated in its second Climate COP in 2024 after being admitted as an official Observer NGO in 2023. At COP 29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, we organized our first Blue Zone side event, co-hosted by Publish What You Pay and ResponsibleSteel. The event “Advancing Fairness and Environmental and Social Responsibility in Transition Mineral Supply Chains” featured the experience of the three organizations and the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. Access a recording of the side event here.
Represented by Law & Policy Director, Kristi Disney Bruckner, IRMA also participated in multiple roundtables and panel events at COP 29, including:
“UN High-Level Meeting on Resourcing the Energy Transition with Justice and Equity: Advancing the Recommendations of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.” Access a summary and recording here.
Council for Critical Minerals Development in the Global South (a partnership between Sustainable Energy for All, Swaniti Global, and University of California, Davis) and the India Climate Collaborative roundtable “Beyond Extraction: Developing around Critical Minerals in the Global South.” Kristi presented on environmental and social standards and community benefit sharing.
Kristi was a speaker on the “Talk Show: Charting Indonesia Forward as a Green Global Battery Hub” hosted by World Resources Institute Indonesia and the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas). Access a summary and recording of this event here.
We look forward to building on COP 29 and to seeing you at COP 30 this November!
The Role of Standards in a Responsible Social Transition
Decarbonization will bring profound transformations to heavy industries, driving significant technological, geographic, economic, and social changes. To understand and respond to the impacts of this transition, IRMA and ResponsibleSteel are jointly working on a project that explores the role of voluntary sustainability standards in driving a responsible transition in the steel and mining sectors. The project seeks to understand and develop strategies to address the social impacts of the energy transition. This effort is funded by ISEAL, a global organization for credible sustainability standards, as part of its work on the role of sustainability systems in just transitions.
The project will identify key challenges, map how international standards can address them, highlight critical gaps, and outline future work required to fill those gaps. Findings will be validated through engagement with workers, unions, business leaders, and other key stakeholders. This initiative will help establish a shared approach to the role of standards in advancing a just transition for workers in the steel and mining sectors, with outcomes circulated across the ISEAL community and broader networks. Learn more about the project at the ResponsibleSteel website, and via this Q&A with IRMA’s Davidzo Muchawaya and ResponsibleSteel’s Haruko Horii.
Collaborate with Us in 2025!
These are just a few highlights of our climate-focused work. We welcome you to collaborate in IRMA’s action on climate in the year ahead!
Examples of opportunities to engage include:
Planning joint events at Climate Week NYC, COP 30, or other forums
Participating in IRMA’s Expert Working Group on Mining & Circularity
ResponsibleSteel and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) are collaborating on a joint project supported by a grant from the ISEAL Innovations Fund, which is supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, to better understand the social impacts of the net-zero transition for the steel and mining sectors and how standards can help guide good practice.
Two project leads, Haruko Horii, Standards Manager at ResponsibleSteel, and Davidzo Muchawaya, Africa Regional Lead at IRMA, provide a short Q&A for readers to better understand the project.
Q: Haruko, what is the vision for the project?
With this project, we want to understand the social impacts of the transition to net zero and what role standards can play in guiding good practice.
The term ‘just transition’ is used by different people in different ways. We need to determine what this looks like for the mining and steel sectors. What exactly is a just transition? Whose transition are we discussing? Workers, local communities or supply chains? What is the scope of transition? These are some of the questions we need to consider.
Decarbonisation could have adverse social impacts such as job losses or displacement and significant effects on weakening the economic viability of affected communities. Initial research has shown that communities are facing significant social impacts caused by the transition to low-carbon practices. For instance, thousands of people have lost their jobs as a result of shifting from blast furnace technology to electric arc furnaces. These job losses have in turn impacted the wider community’s economic stability, community identity, and overall well-being.
These are the types of issues we aim to identify through this project, assessing how voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) can address them, identifying gaps, and outlining steps for future, more detailed work that could lead to larger-scale initiatives. We’ll test our findings by engaging with workers, unions, business leaders, community organisations, and other relevant stakeholders to identify an agreed approach and create practical guidance for players in the mining and steel industry.
Q: Davidzo, what do ResponsibleSteel and IRMA have in common, and why are they collaborating on a just transition?
We believe in the power of collaboration and mutual recognition. This project is just one of many examples of how different VSSs can complement and leverage each other’s work. Specifically, ResponsibleSteel leverages the assurance system of standards such as IRMA’s at mine site level, while focusing on the steel production aspects. Importantly, both ResponsibleSteel and IRMA were founded on a multi-stakeholder governance system, which has been recognised as a leading practice both by industry and NGOs. This model is recognised as best practice to ensure transparency, accountability, and inclusivity.
The collaboration specific to a just transition is born out of the necessity to ensure two hard-to-abate sectors, steel and mining, address the realities workers and communities are facing in our changing world as many existing mine and steelmaking sites face adaptation or closure. Given the varying impacts of decarbonisation across regions, IRMA and ResponsibleSteel are uniquely positioned to provide frameworks that apply across these different contexts since they are both standard-setting organisations operating globally. What is more, they are able to consider both decarbonisation and the potential social impacts of the transition at the same time.
Q: How do each of you respectively integrate just transition into your standards?
Haruko: Standards are going to play a critical role in promoting accountability during the transition, ensuring they are fair and equitable. Although there is no explicit reference to a just transition in the current ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard, there are some elements to address the transition under Principle 4: Decommissioning and Closure of sites, which requires consultation with key stakeholders to minimise any adverse impacts. In future, the scope of this principle could be expanded to address issues related to site closures, or the Production Standard could adopt a different approach by providing a Just Transition Framework giving steel producers guidelines and tools to navigate an equitable transition with workers and affected communities. We plan to discuss these approaches with stakeholders in the next phases of the project. Integrating practices into the Production Standard will help ensure the industry’s transition is both environmentally and socially just.
Davidzo: As for the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining, multiple chapters and requirements articulate what best practices could and should be for mining operations wishing to ensure a just transition for workers and affected communities. A prominent example is the requirement to involve affected communities and stakeholders in the development, design, and implementation of the mine rehabilitation and closure plan. Going beyond minimum transparency, the IRMA Standard outlines a series of requirements dedicated to the adequate estimation and financing of mine closure and post-closure. Research shows that the mining operations often leave behind environmental and social liabilities, without taking charge of costs associated with the rehabilitation or appropriate closure of the sites thereby foregoing an adequate transition.
Crucially, the role played by both ResponsibleSteel and IRMA would not be the same without their multi-stakeholder governance systems. Thanks to the decision making process that takes into account private sector players as well as rights holders and labour unions, they can ensure that the voices of all parties are heard and taken into account in an equal way – hopefully adding the “just” element to “transition”.
Q: Davidzo, who is the main audience for this project?
The main audience for this project is workers and labour unions, as workers are most directly affected by the transition. Operators, from mining companies to steelmakers, are also key since, as employers, their actions and decisions will be critical to the social impacts of the transition, alongside national and subnational governments. Local communities impacted by the transition, NGOs that aim to act in their interests and standard-setting organisations are also key stakeholders.
Q: Haruko, is there a specific geographic focus for the project?
While just transition challenges and opportunities vary from country to country and even from site to site, the project is truly global as it strives to bring the complexities of these different realities to light. We aim to engage with stakeholders across different regions during the project to hear from different stakeholders the realities of the transition in different contexts. More information on this to come!
Following the release of a first draft of Standard 2.0 in October 2023 for a 90-day public consultation, the IRMA Secretariat received more than 2,500 points of comments from 82 organizations (see previous update).
Although we had first anticipated the release of a second draft as early as Q3 2024 for a 60-day public consultation, such release is now expected for March 2025; and subject to approval by the IRMA multi-stakeholder equally-governed Board of Directors.
Click to enlarge.
Why is the process taking longer than planned?
IRMA granted extensions to organizations that asked for more time during the first public consultation up to March 2024) to ensure all could contribute.
The quality and length of most contributions required a longer processing time from our team of subject matter experts.
During and after the first public consultation, IRMA received requests for additional engagement, including calls and in-person meetings, from a number of organizations (across NGOs, Indigenous rights’ organizations, mining companies, government agencies, and other industry actors). IRMA responded by engaging in all requests; this engagement occurred mainly April-July 2024, but also continued through November 2024.
This lengthened process delayed our ability to prepare updated material and questions for our Expert Working Groups (see note below).
A new consolidated draft was then submitted to the IRMA Board of Directors on 1st November 2024 for a 6-week review period, aiming for their approval before the end of 2024.
Board members from the mining and the NGO sectors requested additional discussions about, and work on, the following topics:
Rationale for, and listing of, critical requirements;
Upstream and downstream sustainability due diligence;
Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of Indigenous Peoples;
Tailings management, especially with regard to the GISTM standard;
Water management;
Biodiversity offsets;
Carbon offsets;
Air quality and dust management.
Finally, the fact that IRMA finalized and launched the first official version of the IRMA Chain of Custody Standard (with its associated Assurance Manual, and Claims Procedure and Communications Policy) over the course of the three first quarters of 2024 consumed attention, discussion, and refining time from both the IRMA Secretariat and the IRMA Board.
What’s next?
The second round of public consultation is coming up soon!
The IRMA Board, supported by the IRMA Secretariat, is working to finalize the new draft for a 60-day consultation period. This is now expected for March-April (NOTE: the Board agreeing to release the Standard for consultation doesn’t constitute endorsement of everything in the Standard It’s an invitation to the world to help further improve the new draft.)
Materials we will release in support of this second consultation:
A public report on the first consultation period;
A fully detailed log of all the comments that were submitted (confidential contributions will be redacted), and the response from IRMA;
The full draft Standard, that includes:
For each chapter: summary of the changes since the 2023 first draft; details on feedback received and proposed decision for every consultation question;
Applicability to respective development stages (exploration to permitting to operations) will be integrated within the design of the chapters;
Comparative tables between IRMA Standard V1.0 and this second draft, highlighting substantial differences.
IRMA is committed to again offer opportunities for feedback from all stakeholders and Indigenous rightsholders.
We aspire to process all the comments, convene expert working groups, and meet requests for specific engagement, during Q2 and Q3 2025, so that a final Standard may be adopted as final by the IRMA Board before the end of 2025.
We thank you all for your patience; we remain committed to working transparently on this updated IRMA Mining Standard that many are eager to use and implement.
Expert Working Groups: 2023-2024 update
Some of the Expert Working Groups that were convened in 2022 have been solicited again, while a new one was created (Mineral Supply Chain). Note that no group calls took place, and members were only asked to provide individual feedback. Details are provided in the table below:
IRMA Working Groups
Status
Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (CAHRAs)
Asked for additional contribution in August 2024 on the new draft Chapter on “Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Area Due Diligence“.
It is anticipated that this working group will need to be reconvened during the second public consultation.
Land Acquisition, Displacement, and Resettlement
Asked for additional contribution in April 2024 on the new draft Chapter.
Mineral Supply Chain
Asked for additional contribution in August 2024 on the new draft Chapter on “Upstream and Downstream Sustainability Due Diligence“.
It is anticipated that this working group will need to be reconvened during the second public consultation.
Planning and Financing for Mine Closure
Asked for additional contribution in August 2024 on the new draft Chapter on “Concurrent Reclamation, Closure, and Post-Closure“.
Waste and Materials Management
Asked for additional contribution in August 2024 on the new draft Chapter on “Tailings Storage Facilities and Physical Stability Management“.
It is anticipated that this working group will need to be reconvened during the second public consultation.
Water Management
Asked for additional contribution in August 2024 on the new draft Chapter on “Water Management“.
It is anticipated that this working group will need to be reconvened during the second public consultation.
Circularity
Solicited feedback in October 2023 when 1st Draft was released.
No particular challenge identified since.
Gender Equality and Gender Protections
Solicited feedback in October 2023 when 1st Draft was released.
No particular challenge identified since.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG)
Solicited feedback in October 2023 when 1st Draft was released.
No particular challenge identified at that time.
Former “Greenhouse Gas Emissions” chapter has been expanded, renamed “Climate Action” and peer-reviewed by an external consultancy firm, AGS Carbon, specializing in Climate Action, Standard setting, and audits. It is anticipated that this working group will need to be reconvened during the second public consultation.
Indigenous Peoples and FPIC
Solicited feedback in October 2023 when 1st Draft was released.
No particular challenge identified at that time.
Following specific request for engagement, the new draft chapter was sent to 15 Indigenous leaders from across all 7 socio-cultural regions (most of them were not previously part of the Expert Working Group). An in-person closed-door meeting was also organized in November 2024, following a request from Indigenous rights’ organizations and Indigenous leaders to do so.
It is anticipated that this working group will need to be reconvened during the second public consultation.
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
Solicited feedback in in October 2023 when 1st Draft was released.
No particular challenge identified since.
Expert Working Group Demographics
Total number of Working Groups: 11 Total number of Experts: 159 (87 male, 72 female) Countries represented: 26
In this compelling interview for Mining Indaba TV, J.J. Messner de Latour, Sector Lead for Downstream Purchasers at the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), delves into the challenges and opportunities of implementing rigorous mining standards in the African mining industry.
J.J. discusses ways to overcome obstacles, improve transparency and accountability, and align with global best practices to ensure sustainable development. He also addresses the complexity of multiple mining standards and explores whether a unified industry standard is the solution. For junior miners, J.J. shares valuable advice on adopting best practices from the outset of their projects. Finally, he offers his perspective on what future-proofing African mining means today.
On behalf of all of us at IRMA, we invite you to view this short video by Executive Director Aimee Boulanger, highlighting some of IRMA’s top achievements in 2024 and 4 Key Priorities for 2025.
Thank you for being a special part of the IRMA journey. If your institution isn’t yet a member, apply now to become an IRMA Member and be part of making meaningful progress toward our mission and vision in the year ahead!
IRMA’s 2024 Highlights and 2024 Priorities
2024 was a dynamic year of IRMA impact and growth with multiple IRMA firsts, expanding IRMA engagement and coverage, collaborations with state and non-state actors, engagement in key policies, and recognition of IRMA across sectors.
IRMA Firsts in 2024
We celebrated multiple IRMA firsts in 2024, including:
Welcoming our first Finance Sector members to IRMA.
Publishing IRMA’s first board-approved Chain of Custody Standard following a robust period of public consultation, allowing verified tracking of IRMA-audited material from the mine site to the end user.
Responding to the first Complaints in the IRMA grievance system, an indicator of growing awareness of and trust in the system while informing improvements to IRMA.
Hiring our first Indonesia-based IRMA Secretariat member, Andre Barahamin, to lead community outreach in Indonesia, launching our firstNational Level Panel in Indonesia, and our first IRMA-hosted in-person civil society meetingin Indonesia.
Hiring our Purchasing Sector Lead, J.J. Messner de Latour, leading growth in IRMA Membership in downstream purchasers to 25 members (an increase of 5 in 2024), engagement in the IRMA Processors Working Group to 7 (an increase of 1 in 2024), and supporting their powerful drive for responsible mining. Collectively the IRMA Buyer’s Group represents U.S. $1.7 trillion in annual revenues.
IRMA’s first engagement in India, presenting at the India Critical Minerals Summit and meeting with leaders in government, industry, civil society, investors, and other sectors in New Delhi.
IRMA’s first engagement at theConvention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties (COP), hosting our firstUnited Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change COP Official Side Event with ResponsibleSteel and Publish What You Pay, and co-hosting our first events at Climate Week NYC, one with Open Government Partnership (OGC) and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) focused on responsible governance of transition minerals and another with the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions Team focused on innovation in decarbonization and nature-positive solutions in transition mineral value chains.
IRMA’s first presentation to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, at APEC’s 15th Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC) Conference in Lima, Peru.
IRMA’s first engagement in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as an official Liaison to ISO Project Committee 348 on “Sustainable Raw Materials.”
At the end of 2024, IRMA grew to 99 companies (an increase of 17 in 2024) and 118 sites (an increase of 15 in 2024) engaged in the IRMA system. We are looking forward to welcoming our 100th company in 2025!
IRMA engagement covers 35 countries and 53 minerals.
68 sites are self-assessing against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining, the first step before independent audit.
28 sites are piloting the draft exploration or mineral processing standard self-assessments.
22 sites (an increase of 3 in 2024) owned by 12 different companies (an increase of 2 in 2024) have been engaged in the independent assessment system: 11 initial audits are underway in South Africa, Senegal, Mozambique, Indonesia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Australia and 10 audit reports (an increase of 2 in 2024) have been published in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mexico, Chile, and Brazil.
IRMA saw significant and growing coverage across lithium, manganese, iron, platinum, and graphite sectors in 2024.
2024 Collaborations
IRMA approaches all aspects of our work in partnerships within and across sectors. We have long-standing partnerships with the Forest Stewardship Council, ResponsibleSteel, Alliance for Responsible Mining and other standards bodies, including engagement with a wide range of standards as an ISEAL Community Member. Among our numerous collaborations and partnerships in 2024, we note the following:
Collaborating with ResponsibleSteel to explore the role of standards in steel and mining to drive a responsible energy transition for organized labor and other sectors, with support from the ISEAL Innovations Fund, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO and UK International Development.
In 2024 IRMA participated extensively in ISO Processes including a series of workshops hosted by Standards Australia (IWA 45) and as a Liaison to ISO Project Committee 348 on ‘Sustainable Raw Materials,’ helping shape the process to avoid greater complexity and duplication across the mining standards landscape. Responding to member priorities, IRMA’s policy focus in the European Union (EU) was expanded significantly in 2024 with the addition of a dedicated staff member, Cecilia Mattea, working with EU policy makers and to ensure that the IRMA Standard is fit-for-purpose for regulations such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), EU Batteries Regulation, and Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA).
Recognition of IRMA Across Sectors
We celebrated a range of IRMA recognitions across sectors in 2024, including:
Eramet’s restatement of its commitment to “subject all its mining operations to an independent audit process based on the IRMA Standard.” IRMA relies on the leadership of companies to implement the IRMA Standard at the site level and appreciate those who boldly commit to having all their sites undergo IRMA audits.
In its Raw Materials Report 2024Mercedes-Benz declared, “Since 2021, we have been using IRMA as a precondition in all battery-related awardings and require our suppliers to exclusively use cobalt, lithium, nickel, natural graphite, manganese and copper from IRMA-audited mines in newly commissioned scopes of supply.” Multiple automakers commented on IRMA in the Amnesty International report Recharge for Rights: Ranking the Human Rights Due Diligence Reporting of Leading Electric Vehicle Makers. Ford declared, “We are requiring suppliers source raw mined materials from suppliers committing to and/or certified by the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) or third-party equivalent.” Volkswagen declared, “We are a strong supporter of IRMA, which is fully inclusive of communities and stakeholders. We have committed to using IRMA in our battery supply chains and have already seen success with the audits from Albemarle and SQM in Chile.” Tesla’s Impact Report 2023, published in 2024 declares that “The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Standard is Tesla’s preferred mining standard. IRMA is a multi-stakeholder led organization with the most comprehensive mining certification system and transparent reporting of results available. Its focus on continuous improvement allows suppliers to improve their results over time. Tesla has been an IRMA member since late 2021. Our goal is to encourage the uptake of IRMA across our supply chain.”
31 investors managing US $2.7 trillion signed a statement demanded that companies enhance their environmental and social due diligence in nickel supply chains of the electric vehicle industry, endorsing VBDO and Rainforest Foundation Norway’s investor statement that references IRMA as a key initiative “which downstream companies can support by joining directly but also by prioritizing sourcing from mines audited by IRMA and requiring their own suppliers to be audited by IRMA.”
IndustriALL Global Union published a statement describing IRMA as “a valuable tool which integrates ILO standards, OECD guidelines and human rights due diligence. This integration created a culture of industrial peace, accountability, and meaningful dialogue between workers, communities, and mining companies.”
39 civil society organizations submitted a letter to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) requesting the USTR to “ensure that critical minerals operations meet all standards set in the Indigenous Peoples and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent” Chapter of IRMA and to require the Occupational Health & Safety and environmental responsibility and related standards in IRMA. Lead the Charge, a diverse network of local, national, and global advocacy partners working for an equitable, sustainable and fossil-fuel free auto supply chain published An Assessment of Third-Party Assurance and Accreditation Scheme that assessed IRMA as a “robust scheme” that “was the strongest performer by a considerable margin” among the eight systems evaluated, and meets “nearly all of the minimum criteria for governance, auditing, and/or accreditation.” In a Lead the Charge statement to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) the coalition stated, “there are fundamental criteria that standards must include to be credible and effective at protecting people and the planet. The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) contains these elements and more, which is why there is broad consensus within civil society that IRMA is the strongest mining standard and should serve as the baseline for any global guideline on critical mineral supply chains.” The Rainforest Action Norway and Mighty Earth’s Assessing Biodiversity and Deforestation Impacts in Mining Standards report also concluded, “the IRMA Standard consistently rises above other mining standards for evaluating biodiversity impacts, due to its stronger requirements, multistakeholder governance and transparency, among other criteria.” Business and Human Rights Resource Standard’s Transition Minerals Tracker: 2024 Analysis declares, “The standard developed by the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) represents the most comprehensive, transparent, and credible mining sector audit standard available today.”
IRMA 2025 Priorities: Scaling Service with Integrity
Looking ahead to 2025, we aim to achieve:
More Mines in the IRMA System: New mining companies and increased number of sites across diverse geographies, materials, and company size, with increased support through an active learning hub.
Improved Audit Process for All: More auditors, with increased IRMA fluency, and expertise in community and worker engagement; greater efficiency in the process for mining companies with greater affordability and support for small and medium-sized companies to engage; and increased worker and community awareness of IRMA as a tool for improvement and increased trust that audits tell a fair story for all.
Increased Recognition of Achievement in the Market Driving Value for Improved Practices: Audit reports are used to increase dialogue and incentivize improved practices, and the market, policy makers, and civil society incentivize engagement, creating value for companies.
Confidence in Governance and Accountability: IRMA’s equal governance, standards, and assurance system balance service and value to all with growth in IRMA’s membership.
A new resource for the mining sector is now available on the IRMA website.
IRMA acknowledges the challenges mining companies face, such as the fact that governments have not always required certain standards, the market didn’t previously value them, and that companies often operate in complex regions. By using IRMA, mining companies can tell a transparent and truthful story about the materials we rely on every day, highlighting ongoing efforts and progress.
How IRMA Benefits Mining Operators describes how IRMA offers a robust solution by providing a comprehensive, independently verified standard and assessment system that allows mining companies to receive credit for the positive work they are already doing, while also identifying areas for improvement.
A new resource for the downstream purchasing sector is now available on the IRMA website.
Downstream purchasers, as customers of mined materials, have a significant interest in how those materials are extracted and processed. Current and emerging regulations, as well as the expectations of consumers, investors, and affected stakeholders – as well as companies’ own business needs to address risk and build resilience – are driving companies to increase visibility over their supply chain and expect more responsible performance at every stage. By using IRMA, downstream purchasers can leverage a transparent and truthful story about the materials we rely on every day.
How IRMA Benefits Downstream Purchasers describes how IRMA provides a credible system for demonstrating that materials have been extracted to a widely accepted standard that meets a broad range of ESG metrics and safeguards, providing unprecedented visibility into individual mine performance. Included are IRMA’s benefits to purchasers and our value proposition.
Tuesday, February 4, 8:00am to 9.15am, IRMA is hosting a breakfast at the SunSquare Cape Town City Bowl: Why go high bar? The case for robust standards in mining. Register here. Speakers include representatives from Mercedes Benz, Eramet, Anglo American and ZELA.
19 December – Today the Initiative for Responsible Mining (IRMA) released the results of an independent audit of Syrah’s Balama graphite operation (“Balama”) in Mozambique against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Balama achieved IRMA 50 after the independent audit firm SCS Global Services measured its performance versus the Standard’s 400+ criteria.
Balama is one of 22 industrial-scale mining operations worldwide engaged in independent audits with the IRMA system. After an initial self-assessment, a participating mine engages a third-party audit firm — trained and approved by IRMA — to conduct a detailed independent evaluation, including on-site visits to the mine and nearby communities.
IRMA 50 means SCS Global Services verified Balama met all critical requirements of the IRMA Standard, as well as at least 50% of the Standard’s criteria in each of the four areas: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, business integrity and planning for positive legacies. The full audit report is available on the Balama audit page at responsiblemining.net.
“The information stakeholders need to decide what’s going well — and what may require more attention.”
“This report demonstrates that mines supplying materials essential to the renewable energy transition can point to transparent, independent evaluations of their environmental and social performance,” said Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director of IRMA. “Through detailed IRMA audit reports, mining companies, communities and companies that purchase mined materials can gain the information they need to decide what’s going well — and what may require more attention — at specific mines.”
As the IRMA Standard is recognized and adopted around the globe, these audits are just the first steps in a deepening dialogue between mining companies and those affected by their operations. And because the process is still evolving, IRMA cautions that the initial results should be reviewed and interpreted accordingly.
“If the results don’t fully reflect the experience of communities or other affected groups, we want to hear from them,” Ms. Boulanger said. “We’ll help them communicate with the company to better understand its performance, and with the auditors on any issues they feel were overlooked in the review. This is a cornerstone of our own commitment to transparency. We invite anyone who has criticisms of our work to join us in making it better. Finding ways to improve is built into our system — and a measure of its success.”
“This accomplishment is a first in the global graphite industry and highlights nearly a decade of strengthening our differentiated ESG performance.”
“Achieving IRMA 50 is a significant milestone for Syrah in our commitment to operate in line with international best practice for responsible mining. This accomplishment is a first in the global graphite industry and highlights nearly a decade of strengthening our differentiated ESG performance, particularly Balama’s strong safety record, investment in training and developing a highly skilled workforce, ongoing community development, human rights due diligence, legal governance and compliance, stakeholder engagement and demonstrated commitment to environmental sustainability,” said Syrah Managing Director and CEO, Shaun Verner.
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is (1) a voluntary mining standard describing best practices to protect people and the environment, (2) an assurance process to measure mines against that standard, and (3) an organization equally governed by representatives of six affected stakeholder sectors – communities, organized labor, NGOs, finance, purchasers and mining companies — that oversees the standard and the assurance process. IRMA is globally unique in that its governance provides communities equal power to mining companies, and the non-commercial interests the same power as commercial interests.
For More Information:
Alan Septoff, +1.301.202.1445, aseptoff@responsiblemining.net
19 de Dezembro – Hoje, a Iniciativa para a Garantia de Mineração Responsável (IRMA) divulgou os resultados de uma auditoria independente da operação de grafite da Syrah em Balama (“Balama”) em função do Padrão para a Mineração Responsável da IRMA. Balama atingiu o nível IRMA 50 depois de a firma de auditoria independente SCS Global Services ter medido o seu desempenho em relação aos mais de quatrocentos critérios do Padrão.
A operação da Syrah em Balama é uma das 22 operações mineiras de escala industrial em todo o mundo envolvidas em auditorias independentes com o sistema IRMA. Após uma auto-avaliação inicial, uma mina participante contrata uma empresa de auditoria externa, com formação e aprovação da IRMA, para efectuar uma avaliação independente pormenorizada, incluindo visitas presencias a operação mineira e às comunidades próximas.
O IRMA 50 significa que a SCS Global Services verificou que Balama cumpria todos os requisitos críticos do Padrão IRMA, bem como pelo menos 50% dos critérios do Padrão em cada uma das quatro áreas: responsabilidade social, responsabilidade ambiental, integridade empresarial e planeamento para legados positivos. O relatório de auditoria completo está disponível na página da auditoria de Balama em responsiblemining.net.
“As informações necessárias para decidir o que está a correr bem e o que pode exigir mais atenção.”
“Este relatório demonstra que as minas que fornecem materiais essenciais com vista à transição para as energias renováveis podem apontar para avaliações transparentes e independentes do seu desempenho ambiental e social”, afirmou Aimee Boulanger, Directora Executiva da IRMA. “Através de relatórios de auditoria da IRMA pormenorizados, as empresas de mineração, as comunidades e as empresas que adquirem os materiais extraídos podem obter as informações necessárias para decidir o que está a correr bem e o que pode exigir mais atenção em minas específicas.”
Dado que o Padrão da IRMA é reconhecido e adoptado em todo o mundo, estas auditorias são apenas os primeiros passos no aprofundamento do diálogo entre as empresas mineiras e as pessoas afectadas pela respectiva actividade. E porque o processo ainda está em evolução, a IRMA adverte que os resultados iniciais devem ser revistos e interpretados em conformidade.
“Se os resultados não reflectem plenamente a experiência das comunidades, dos titulares de direitos indígenas ou de outros grupos afectados, queremos ouvir as respectivas opiniões”, afirmou a Sra. Boulanger. “Ajudá-los-emos a comunicar com a empresa para compreender melhor o seu desempenho e com os auditores sobre quaisquer questões que achem que tenham sido negligenciadas na análise. Esta é uma pedra basilar do nosso compromisso para com a transparência. Convidamos qualquer pessoa que tenha críticas acerca do nosso trabalho a juntar se a nós para o tornarmos melhor. A procura de maneiras de melhorar está incorporada no nosso sistema e é uma medida do seu sucesso.”
“Esta conquista é a primeira na indústria global de grafite e destaca quase uma década de fortalecimento do nosso desempenho diferenciado em ESG”
“Alcançar o IRMA 50 é um marco significativo para a Syrah no seu compromisso de operar em linha com as melhores práticas internacionais de mineração responsável. Esta conquista é a primeira na indústria global de grafite e destaca quase uma década de fortalecimento do nosso desempenho diferenciado em ESG. O sólido registo de segurança de Balama, o investimento em formação e no desenvolvimento de uma força de trabalho altamente qualificada, o contínuo desenvolvimento na comunidade, a devida diligência em matéria de direitos humanos, a governação e conformidade legal, o envolvimento com as partes interessadas e o compromisso demonstrado com a sustentabilidade ambiental foram elementos cruciais no processo com o IRMA”, destacou o Diretor-Executivo e CEO da Syrah, Shaun Verner.
A Iniciativa para a Garantia de Mineração Responsável (IRMA) é: (1) um padrão de mineração voluntário que descreve as melhores práticas para proteger as pessoas e o ambiente, (2) um processo de garantia para mensurar as minas em função desse padrão, e (3) uma organização dirigida em pé de igualdade por representantes de seis sectores de partes interessadas afectadas (comunidades, trabalhadores organizados, ONG, sector financeiro, compradores e empresas mineiras) que supervisiona a norma e o processo de garantia. A IRMA é mundialmente única no sentido em que a sua governação proporciona às comunidades um poder equivalente ao das empresas mineiras e aos interesses não comerciais um poder igual ao dos interesses comerciais.
For More Information:
Alan Septoff, +1.301.202.1445, aseptoff@responsiblemining.net
Represented by Law & Policy Director, Kristi Disney Bruckner, IRMA also participated in multiple roundtables and panel events at COP 29, including:
Decarbonization will bring profound transformations to heavy industries, driving significant technological, geographic, economic, and social changes. To understand and respond to the impacts of this transition, IRMA and ResponsibleSteel are jointly working on a project that explores the role of voluntary sustainability standards in driving a responsible transition in the steel and mining sectors. The project seeks to understand and develop strategies to address the social impacts of the energy transition. This effort is funded by ISEAL, a global organization for credible sustainability standards, as part of its work on the role of sustainability systems in just transitions.
These are just a few highlights of our climate-focused work. We welcome you to collaborate in IRMA’s action on climate in the year ahead!
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