Albemarle’s Salar de Atacama operation scored at the IRMA 50 performance level (español), meaning the independent audit firm ERM-CVS verified that the mine met all critical requirements of the IRMA Standard, as well as at least 50% of the Standard’s criteria in four areas: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, business integrity and planning for positive legacies.
Salar de Atacama joins 12 other industrial-scale mines worldwide that are undergoing independent audits against the IRMA Standard in 2023. 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.
It’s important to note that IRMA audits do not yield “certification,” nor do they declare at what point a site becomes a “responsible mine.” The IRMA system is built to have more transparent conversation on the impacts, at a table where civil society and labor have voice equal to the private sector, and which seeks to create greater value to reduce harm.
In doing this audit, Albemarle has volunteered to be measured against a standard more rigorous, requiring more public engagement, and more transparent sharing of results than any other global mining standard. It is an act of leadership and commitment to increasing dialogue across diverse stakeholder sectors and with Indigenous rights holders to engage in this process.
It’s important to note that the audit report also provide an honest accounting for IRMA’s own progress as the Standard and its assessment process continue to mature. “If the results don’t fully reflect the experience of communities, Indigenous rights holders or other affected groups, we want to hear from them.” — Aimee Boulanger.
Article 29 should specify a certification scheme is not a replacement for a company’s responsibility or for government oversight
Additional criteria for certification schemes in Annex IV including they be equally governed multi-stakeholder initiatives, provide access to a grievance mechanism and require publicly noticed third-party audits that are published in their entirety
IRMA is growing as more companies commit to third-party audits that independently assess their mining-related operations against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. To accommodate this growth, IRMA is seeking to expand the number of audit firms (certification bodies)that provide independent audits against the IRMA Standard in line with IRMA assurance requirements.
Interested bodies may apply anytime to become approved. IRMA has partnered with Assurance Services International (ASI) to manage the approval process, oversee performance of approved bodies and to formalize its oversight program more generally. The approval process includes a remote document review and a head office assessment against IRMA requirements.
Following approval, ASI will witness a sample of on-site mine site audits and carry out head office surveillance assessments. The IRMA Secretariat will compile regular performance reviews to ensure approved audit firms meet the defined expectations.
We are grateful to IRMA’s inaugural audit program partners — SCS Global Services and ERM Certification and Verification Services — as we expand our capacity.
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to announce that the French miner Eramet has committed to a third-party independent assessment of its Grande Côte Opérations (GCO) site against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. GCO is a Senegalese subsidiary of the Eramet Group that specializes in the recovery of ilmenite, leucoxene, rutile, and zircon. The mine and its two processing plants have been in service since 2014.
In making its own announcement, Eramet declared “After this first external audit in Senegal, Eramet aims to engage all its mining sites in this independent verification process by 2027.”
SCS Global Services, an IRMA-approved certification body, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an onsite audit (stage 2). After SCS’s draft audit report is reviewed by IRMA and GCO, GCO may release the report or has the option to take up to twelve months to implement a Corrective Action Plan before the audit firm assigns a Performance Level.
Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment
Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the GCO independent assessment (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 onsite visit, link to public summary of audit results). The Mines Under Assessment page of IRMA’s website will also provide up-to-date information on all assessments.
Mine site stakeholders are invited to submit comments to SCS Global Services regarding the social and environmental performance of the GCO mine (in particular, how the performance of the mine site measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining).
Stakeholders of the GCO mine may also contact SCS Global Services if they are interested in being interviewed as part of the assessment process.
Stakeholder comments and expressions of interest in being interviewed as part of the audit process can also be submitted by email or mail to:
SCS Global Services
2000 Powell St. #600 Emeryville, California, USA 94608
feedback@scsglobalservices.com
Please share this announcement, and feel free to contact SCS Global directly to provide names and contact information for other GCO stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process.
For more information
On the GCO Mine Site Assessment, contact IRMA’s Director of Assurance: msmith@responsiblemining.net
For general information on the IRMA mine site assessment and certification process, visit the IRMA website.
Public Information, Rm. 6808
Bureau of Public Affairs
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520-6810 AskPublicAffairs@state.gov
Re: The U.S. and Minerals Security Partnership Should Require IRMA when Selecting a Standard for Critical Minerals Projects
Dear Colleagues,
On January 23rd Jose Fernandez announced that the U.S. and other members of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) are carefully selecting a set of critical minerals projects to support and are identifying a set of standards companies and countries will need to meet to receive related assistance.
The U.S. and the MSP should require the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) because it is a standard and system equally governed by private and public sectors, unique from industry trade association standards.
IRMA is a multi-stakeholder coalition that brought leaders from diverse sectors together in 2006 to craft the world’s first shared definition of what it means to mine responsibly: the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The IRMA Standard is the result of a comprehensive process spanning more than ten years, including a public consultation process incorporating 1,400 comments from more than 100 different individuals and organizations.
IRMA members include six major automakers, leading jewelers, a wind energy company, mining companies, the world’s two largest global trade unions, leading human rights and environmental advocates, indigenous leaders, leaders of mine-affected communities, and increasing engagement from the investor and finance sector.
Not all standards for the mining sector are equal. Various sets of principles and standards are promulgated by industry trade associations and may identify as multi-stakeholder but do not provide an equal seat at the table for NGOs, affected communities, and labor alongside the private sector. The level of detail in the standards varies widely, as does the quality of assessment and reporting—ranging from company self-reporting with no public reports to independent third-party audits resulting in transparent public reports. Local stakeholders and rights holders may or may not know in advance that an assessment will occur or even be provided with an opportunity to share their experience and opinions.
IRMA stands out from industry trade association standards because it is recognized across stakeholder sectors and has already been recognized by multiple MSP members. The United Kingdom’s 2022 Critical Minerals Strategy references IRMA as a globally recognized framework for responsible mining.[1] In 2021, the White House referenced IRMA in its 100-Day Review on Building Resilient Supply Chains, noting that IRMA is a possible “method for U.S. companies and the Federal Government to ensure that minerals are being sourced from mines with robust environmental, social, and financial responsibility practices.”[2] The European Parliament referenced the IRMA Standard in its 2021 strategy for critical raw materials.[3] The Government of Australia called IRMA a “no regrets approach” in its 2020 study of certifications and strategies to increase competitiveness of Australian battery materials for use in the EV sector in Europe.[4]
IRMA is the only standard for the mining sector that fully embodies the Biden Administration’s environmental justice goals. This is because IRMA is the only standard for the mining sector that:
is equally governed by directly affected communities, NGOs, labor unions, mining companies, purchasing companies, and the investor and finance sector;
requires public notice in advance of an audit so that local stakeholders and rights holders can prepare to engage in the audit;
is applicable globally and covers all mined materials (apart from thermal coal, uranium, and deep seabed mining projects);
includes the full range of environmental and social issues related to industrial-scale mines;
requires detailed public reports made available at no cost to the public, with scoring and rationale on over 26 topics across over 400 requirements; and
has demonstrated credibility with civil society and labor unions.
IRMA is built on best practice norms. Existing international systems and frameworks form the basis of requirements in the IRMA Standard and are assessed in IRMA audits. These include but are not limited to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the International Cyanide Management Code, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards, International Labour Organization Conventions, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Protected Area Management Categories, the Minamata Convention on Mercury, OECD Due Diligence Guidance, UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.
IRMA requires completion of an independent third-party audit before any public claims may be made related to IRMA achievement. The IRMA system enables companies to clearly communicate their performance across a holistic set of best practices and work toward continuous improvement in environmental and social responsibility.
IRMA’s equal governance model upholds a standard and system that creates confidence and value across all stakeholder sectors and greater trust across supply chains. The U.S. and MSP should support and incentivize the IRMA Standard and system because of its unique accountability to all sectors and alignment with the MSP’s commitment to “adhere to the highest environmental, social, and governance standards.”[5]
[4] UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures and the University of Melbourne, Certification and LCA of Australian Batter Materials – Drivers and Options: Scene Setting Project Prepared for Future Battery Industries CRC, Future Battery Industries CRC, Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Business Cooperative Research Centres Program, August 2020, https://fbicrc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Certification-of-Au-Battery-Materials-WEB-INTERACTIVE-SEPT-2020.pdf.
9 Feb 2023 | 08:00 a.m. – 09:15 a.m.
SunSquare Cape Town City Bowl
23 Buitengracht St., Cape Town
Join us for a breakfast discussion with public and private sector representatives about how they are using the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) to improve environmental and social management in the mining sector.
From critical materials for the energy transition and electric vehicles to materials for jewelry, electronics, household goods, and beyond, IRMA is a tool governed by and with benefits for all sectors.
Governed equally by NGOs, affected communities, labor unions, mining companies, purchasing companies, and investors, IRMA is used to conduct site-level assessments, increase transparency through independent third-party audits and reporting, and improve legal frameworks.
Our Panelists Include:
Kristi Disney Bruckner, IRMA Senior Policy Advisor
Sarah Makumbe, Anglo American Responsible Mining Program Manager
Nyaradzo Mutonhori, Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) Programmes Manager
Vuyisile Ncube, Earthworks Making Clean Energy Clean, Just, and Equitable Advocate
Please join us for this informal breakfast. It is open to all and free to attend, but space is limited!
As we welcome the new year, we are thrilled to welcome three new board members:
Community Sector: Pavel Sulyandziga, Russia
Pavel Sulyandziga
Pavel is an Indigenous leader and human rights activist from the Bikin River valley in Siberia. He is dedicated to protecting indigenous communities, whose rights are often violated by business. Pavel has a PhD in Economics and is President of the International Indigenous Fund for Development and Solidarity “Batani” (Batani Foundation). He’s currently a Visiting Scholar at Dartmouth College (US) and at Law School University of Maine and was a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2005 – 2010) and Member of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights (2011 -2018). He joins Meshack Mbangula of Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) in representing the Community Sector.
Labor Sector: Meg Gingrich, Canada
Meg Gingrich is Assistant to the National Director of United Steelworkers (USW) Canada. For ten years she’s been on staff at USW Canada’s National Office, first as a researcher and now as the Assistant to the National Director. In that position she’s the senior administrative and policy advisor to the USW in Canada, with lead responsibility on issues relating to trade, industrial policy, and strategic planning. She’s also the central liaison on these issues with the leadership of USW United States. Meg is also the President of Blue Green Canada, which was co-founded in 2008 along with Environmental Defence as a joint labour-environment-community coalition. She joins Glen Mpufane of IndustriALL Global Union in representing the Labor Sector.
Purchaser Sector: Claudia Becker, Germany
Claudia Becker
Claudia is BMW Group’s Expert on Raw Material Strategy and Sustainable Supply Chain Management. Claudia has been working for the BMW Group since 2012 in operational and strategic purchasing functions. In 2016 she joined BMW’s responsible sourcing team with a focus on due diligence in mineral supply chains. Claudia works closely with supply chain partners and represents BMW in various international and cross-industry initiatives, such as Drive Sustainability, RMI and the GBA. Before joining the BMW Group, Claudia worked in the sector of international development cooperation including for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Cambodia on sustainable urban development. Claudia has an academic background in Geography from the University of Bonn with a focus on development cooperation, sustainability, and urbanism. Claudia joins J.J. Messner de Latour of Microsoft in representing the Purchasing Sector.
As we welcome Claudia, Meg, and Pavel to the IRMA board, we reflect with appreciation on the invaluable contributions of those who have served IRMA’s governance since its founding: Dewa Mavhinga, Mike Kowalski, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, Samara Rudolph, Joan Krajewski, Ephi Banaynal dela Cruz, Susan Posnock, Joe Drexler, Mark Rowlinson, Alan Knight, Nuskmata, Larson Bill, Loretta Williams, and many more to whom we owe deep appreciation for their work.
New Year, Same Unique Governance Model
While there are other multi-stakeholder, extraction-related and metals-related standards, IRMA’s governance model is unique: equal governing authority shared between six sectors with an interest in mining. For any board vote, if the two representatives from any given sector oppose a motion, the vote fails even if all other board members are in support. To our knowledge, the IRMA board is the only place in the world where communities, labor, and civil society have an equal voice alongside mining companies and other multinational corporations.
Looking Forward
2023 will be an important year in advancing IRMA’s vision: a world where the mining industry respects the human rights and aspirations of affected communities, provides safe, healthy and supportive workplaces, minimizes harm to the environment, and leaves positive legacies.
Our work to create financial value for mines independently assessed against the world’s most robust mining standard will take a major leap forward. Audit reports for at least ten mine sites will be released in 2023, including the first lithium mines assessed in IRMA. 2023 will also see the IRMA Standard expand to include exploration and development, before mines are operating, and also mineral processing operations, as well as updating the current Standard for active mining operations.
We do this work to integrate learning from the first mine audits, and to create value for an evolving definition of “best practices”, shared across stakeholder sectors, for environmental and social responsibility. As with all of IRMA’s work, this is only possible through the engagement of all affected stakeholders and we welcome your engagement.
At the end of October, the IRMA Secretariat had our first in-person annual planning retreat since the onset of the COVID pandemic. At the retreat’s opening, those in attendance shared with one another why we work for IRMA. Below we share those reasons with you.
“Industrialized societies used mined materials every day but most people don’t know much about mining, the places these materials come from, and the impacts of extraction. Among the people who know the issues well, there is deeply broken trust between companies and affected communities. It’s meaningful to work with diverse stakeholders and indigenous rights holders committed to addressing these issues in a respectful way and working together to reduce harm.” — Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director
“I work for IRMA because in a time of peak political will to improve environmental and social performance in the mining sector, the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining provides a detailed roadmap informed by over a decade of input across sectors. The IRMA Standard is an excellent tool for assessing and improving legal frameworks as well as mine site performance, promoting the level of protections and transparency so greatly needed in this era of energy transition.” — Kristi Disney Bruckner, Senior Policy Advisor
“Since the beginning of my career, I have believed business—when managed responsibly—can have substantial, positive impacts in the places it operates, from source point to end consumer. IRMA provides a clear path for companies along the mineral value chain to perform at a higher level and align with the expectations of customers and civil society alike.” — Rebecca Burton, Director of Corporate Engagement
“The IRMA Standards have the potential to bridge the gaps between mining policies and the demands of various stakeholders impacted by resource extraction. As a part of the IRMA Secretariat, I have the unique opportunity to work together with some of the most passionate people to reach the full potential of the IRMA mission and vision in a manner that gives an equal voice to all stakeholders.” — Adan Olivares Castro, Special Projects Coordinator for Latin America
“As traditional means of protecting communities and the environment are increasingly hamstrung by bad faith actors, I believe that IRMA is the best way to help the most people and the ecosystems we all rely upon by encouraging mining companies to operate more responsibly — and showing them how.” — Alan Septoff, Information Systems & Communications Director
“We live in a world that requires metals to address today’s needs and provide solutions for tomorrow. I am inspired every day to have the opportunity to support a holistic and honest assessment of the impact of mining on people and the planet, and I am humbled with the opportunity to set expectations for best practice mining that honors the diverse interests and rights of stakeholders.” — Michelle Smith, Director of Standards & Assurance
“As the demand for mined materials and natural resources increase, the IRMA team is navigating a better way for the mining industry and finding solutions for best practices which includes the critical work of reducing impacts and harm to affected communities and the environment. This is approached with great passion, intelligence and respect for all our stakeholders, and I am proud to be part of making such meaningful and positive changes for the world.” — Kristen Vissers, Program Coordinator
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