The EV revolution is in its infancy, but it is gaining traction, and its minerals, whatever they are, will have to be mined responsibly. Author, John Harker What if China, the EU, and North America co-operated to undertake a major survey of Responsible Mining and Rare-Earths? A survey in which major mining houses such as BHP, Glencore,…
BC Mining Law Reform was created in May 2019 to push for certain changes in the BC mining regulatory landscape. The new reports offer 69 recommendations that range from broad policy updates to small changes in current legislation. They include the adoption of free, prior, and informed consent for indigenous communities affected by mining projects…
A new study looks at the danger to biodiversity that could come from increased mining of minerals used to create batteries for renewable energy technologies . . . EV and battery industry are urged to source from IRMA-certified mines. Until recycled materials become a feasible alternative to mining, the researchers say, the industry will continue…
“Canada is the undisputed powerhouse of the mining industry, home to 75 per cent of its companies — but the industry is plagued by allegations of rape and slavery abroad. Now those who feel harmed or violated can seek justice back in Canada,” according to an article published in The Narwhal on June 7, 2019…
In recent weeks, we have seen several lab-created diamond producers move away from calling themselves “eco-friendly.” That’s largely due to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) warning to lab-grown diamond producers that they should stop using “general benefit environmental claims” like eco-friendly and sustainable, and in part due to a growing cry that companies need to actually prove their eco-friendliness, beyond saying bad things about diamond mines.…
This is one of more than 60 recommendations released in British Columbia, Canada in May as part of a package of legal reforms launched by more than 30 mining advocacy and law organizations. The recommendations are calling for an overhaul in the way BC regulates exploration, placer mining and metal/mineral mining. B.C. Mining Law Reform:…
The rise of renewable energy to meet global climate goals could be a boon for global mining companies but new customers may also bring higher levels of scrutiny to corporate responsibility practices in the sector. Increased production of renewable energy resources to meet the goals set out by the Paris Agreement on climate change is…
New research commissioned by EarthWorks and done by the Institute for Sustainable Futures argues that demand for complex minerals needed by the rise in electric cars should come from recycled or be verified by certification schemes, such as IRMA. Read full article >
In February 2019, IRMA’s Director of Standards and Assurance participated in a workshop on how voluntary standards might contribute to a more responsible mineral supply chain for mined materials being produced in Liberia. Photo Credit: Lisa Sumi Read full article >
Loretta Williams, chairwoman of First Nations Women Advocating Responsible Mining and Calvin Sandborn, QC, legal director of the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria call on Premier John Horgan to act now to protect the workers and communities below tailings dams. Photo Credit: Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press. About five years ago, both B.C. and…
