NGOs

published the report “Recharge Responsibly“ to inform downstream users of key environmental, social, and governance issues associated with the extraction and processing of the three battery metals—lithium, cobalt and nickel.

In the report’s recommendations, they call on companies in the EV vehicle battery supply chain to commit to sourcing from “operations [which] adhere to stringent international environmental and human rights best-practice standards (such as those developed by the multi-stakeholder Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance).”

published the report “A Material Transition: Exploring supply and demand solutions for renewable energy minerals” examining the impacts associated with the extraction of transition minerals. They called for international solidarity with those impacted by transition minerals, advancing initiatives focused on fair and just global supply chains, and a reduction in unsustainable material consumption.

In detailing the various certification systems for the mining industry, the authors describe IRMA as “a genuinely multi-stakeholder certification scheme to develop ambitious standards that improve the social and environmental performance of industrial mining operations, including a comprehensive list of issues featuring human rights due diligence.”

published “Voluntary standards and FPIC: Insights for improving implementation,”a report to support sustainability standards systems in improving the effectiveness of implementing FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent).

The report references past findings and notes: “MacInnes et al (2017) consider IRMA to be the most promising of extractive industry multi-stakeholder initiatives involving Indigenous peoples. IRMA recognized early on the importance for indigenous peoples to be directly represented as a key stakeholder in negotiations, rather than a subgroup of NGOs, and the multi-stakeholder approach to the development of the standard has helped in addressing issues such as FPIC.”

published “Balancing forests and development: Addressing infrastructure and extractive industries, promoting sustainable livelihoods,” a report on the urgency of balancing forest protections and development, noting that in the authors’ review of mining certification standards, IRMA was found to be “a top performer,” going on to say: “Only IRMA’s Standard for Responsible Mining provides detailed guidance and certification for mining operations and explicitly calls for the identification of direct, indirect, and cumulative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services.”

adopted “Mining and Mining Law Reform Policy (including minerals for Clean Energy),” its first mining policy.

While the policy recommends mining be kept to a minimum, it also states that “where mining is necessary, it must be compliant with high-bar environmental and human rights standards such as IRMA’s Standard for Responsible Mining.”

shared a public letter with South Africa’s new administration, calling for bold and concrete steps to protect human rights.

In the letter, IRMA was called out as an “unprecedented international collaboration” and recommended as a way to drive improved performance at mines.

published “A Plan of Action for Change,” to provide recommendations for reform of British Columbia’s mining laws.

Of the 69 recommendations, four reference IRMA directly:

• Require that all mines in BC comply with the IRMA standards, or better, for Waste and Materials Management.
• Enact measurable and enforceable reclamation criteria that meet or exceed the international standards set in IRMA’s Standard for Responsible Mining.
• Adopt the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining water management standards as minimum requirements in BC’s mining laws, including full consultation with communities and stakeholders on critical water-related issues, with third party independent reviews.
• Prohibit mines that are likely to require perpetual water treatment unless the mine meets the exceptional circumstances set out in the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining.

sent a joint letter to the World Bank in support of a just and rapid transition towards a renewable energy economy, while also expressing concerns about impacts from an expected increase in mining to enable the transition.

The group noted that “where sourcing from mining operations is absolutely necessary, purchasers must insist that those operations adhere to stringent international environmental and human rights best-practices standards (such as those developed by the multi-stakeholder Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance) with independent, third-party assurance of compliance.”