Allen Edzerza, a representative of the First Nations Energy & Mining Council
spoke at the Wall Street Green Summit emphasizing the importance of including the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples when considering ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors.
In this venue, he noted: “[IRMA] is the only standard that recognizes the rights of indigenous people whose lands and culture are impacted by exploration and mining projects and has the mandatory requirement of adherence to the UN Declaration Principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent. If you are an exploration junior, or you are a producer, and you want to show your shareholders you have a demonstrable and verifiable ESG program in your exploration or mining project for critical minerals and metals, then you must have or be on the pathway to IRMA-type certification.”