Today, 25 October 2024, ERM CVS announces that on November 25 – December 6, 2024 it will visit the Sibanye-Stillwater Marikana mining operations in the Rustenburg/Mabineg local municipality, South Africa to conduct the onsite phase of its independent, third-party Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) assessment of the operation. In May Sibanye-Stillwater announced its commitment of the Marikana operation to IRMA independent audit.
When finished, an IRMA assessment results in a public audit report released locally and on the internet. This report will describe how ERM CVS scored Sibanye-Stillwater Marikana against each of the 400+ requirements of the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining, and why ERM CVS gave Sibanye-Stillwater Marikana that score. The report will also assign an overall achievement level: IRMA Transparency, IRMA 50, IRMA 75, or IRMA 100.
Sibanye-Stillwater can use this information about the environmental and social impacts of the Marikana mining operation to improve its practices. Other stakeholders, particularly affected communities, may use this audit report to engage with Sibanye-Stillwater and others on a more equal footing to improve the operation in the ways that matter most to them.
During ERM CVS’s time at Sibanye-Stillwater Marikana, they will collect feedback from local stakeholders – anyone directly or indirectly affected by the mine — including community members, mine workers, and government officials. The ERM CVS team will also inspect the operation and its associated facilities.
November 25 – December 6, 2024
ERM CVS invites you to sign-up for an interview while we are in the area, and/or submit written comments about Sibanye-Stillwater Marikana using the contact details below. You must contact us before 11 November 2024 to be interviewed. Written comments submitted before 4 December 2024 will be considered.
Interviews occur without mine personnel present. Interviews with non-management workers occur without management present and occur offsite on request. Comments will be kept confidential upon request.
Your comments will help ERM CVS assess the impact of Sibanye-Stillwater Marikana on local communities and measure its performance against best mining practices.
ERM CVS is an independent IRMA-approved and trained audit firm. For more about ERM CVS visit ermcvs.com.
IRMA’s mission is to protect the environment and people directly affected by mining. For more about IRMA including the assessment process, the IRMA Standard, and to see audit reports of other mines visit responsiblemining.net.
Today, 5 October 2024, ERM CVS announces that on November 4 – November 12, 2024 it will visit the Sibanye-
Stillwater Rustenburg mining operations in the Rustenburg local municipality, South Africa to conduct the onsite
phase of its independent, third-party Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) assessment of the
operation.
When finished, an IRMA assessment results in a public audit report released locally and on the internet. This report
will describe how ERM CVS scored Sibanye-Stillwater Rustenburg against each of the 400+ requirements of the IRMA
Standard for Responsible Mining, and why ERM CVS gave Sibanye-Stillwater Rustenburg that score. The report will
also assign an overall achievement level: IRMA Transparency, IRMA 50, IRMA 75, or IRMA 100.
Sibanye-Stillwater can use this information about the environmental and social impacts of the Rustenburg mining
operation to improve its practices. Other stakeholders, particularly affected communities, may use this audit report to
engage with Sibanye-Stillwater and others on a more equal footing to improve the operation in the ways that matter
most to them.
During ERM CVS’s time at Sibanye-Stillwater Rustenburg, they will collect feedback from local stakeholders – anyone
directly or indirectly affected by the mine — including community members, mine workers, and government officials.
The ERM CVS team will also inspect the operation and its associated facilities.
November 4 – November 12, 2024
ERM CVS invites you to sign-up for an interview while we are in the area, and/or submit written comments about Sibanye-Stillwater Rustenburg using the contact details below. You must contact us before 21 October 2024 to be interviewed. Written comments submitted before 11 November 2024 will be considered.
Interviews occur without mine personnel present. Interviews with non-management workers occur without management present and occur offsite on request. Comments will be kept confidential upon request.
Your comments will help ERM CVS assess the impact of Sibanye-Stillwater Rustenburg on local communities and measure its performance against best mining practices.
ERM CVS is an independent IRMA-approved and trained audit firm. For more about ERM CVS visit ermcvs.com.
IRMA’s mission is to protect the environment and people directly affected by mining. For more about IRMA including
the assessment process, the IRMA Standard, and to see audit reports of other mines visit responsiblemining.net.
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to announce that Sibanye-Stillwater has committed its Marikana PGM operation to third-party independent assessment against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Marikana is located in South Africa.
ERM-CVS, an IRMA-approved independent audit firm, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an onsite audit (stage 2). After the ERM-CVS draft audit report is reviewed by IRMA and Sibanye-Stillwater, the company may release the report or has the option to take up to twelve months to implement corrective actions and be re-assessed before a final report is published and a Performance Level assigned.
Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment
Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the Marikana 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.
Members of the community, public officials, representatives of the workforce, or other organizations are invited to submit comments regarding how the mine site is managing their impacts to the environment including air, water, waste, greenhouse gases, and ecosystems; how the mine supports their workforce; and how the mine interacts with the surrounding community, and how it impacts the community, positively or negatively.
Interested parties may contact the independent audit firm, ERM-CVS, to share comments or to ask to be interviewed as part of the audit process. The audit firm can be reached by email at:
ERM Certification and Verification Services Limited
Email: post@ermcvs.com
Please share this announcement, and feel free to contact ERM-CVS directly to provide names and contact information for other Sibanye-Stillwater stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process.
For more information
For general information on the IRMA mine site assessment process, visit the IRMA website.
If you would like more information on how audits of the Sibanye-Stillwater operations are conducted against the IRMA standard — contact IRMA’s Director of Assurance: Michelle Smith, msmith@responsiblemining.net
27 March 2024 – Today the Initiative for Responsible Mining (IRMA) released the audits of Kumba Iron Ore’s Kolomela and Sishen iron ore operations against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Independent audit firm ERM-CVS assessed both operations at IRMA 75 when measuring their performance against the Standard’s best practice social and environmental criteria. Kumba Iron Ore is an Anglo American subsidiary.
The IRMA 75 achievement level means that ERM-CVS verified that the operations at least substantially met all 40 critical requirements of the IRMA Standard, as well as at least 75% of the Standard’s criteria in each of the four principle areas: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, business integrity and planning for positive legacies. The full audit reports are available on the Kolomela and Sishen audit pages on the IRMA website.
“The information stakeholders need to decide what’s going well — and what may require more attention.”
“This report demonstrates that mines 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 first steps in a deepening dialogue between mining companies and those affected by their operations. Because the process is still evolving, IRMA cautions that the initial results should be reviewed and interpreted accordingly.
“These mines began audits during the early COVID years. The timeline was delayed by travel challenges, and then the company’s decision to use the optional corrective action period to make improvements. The public has long awaited opportunity to review the information included here, and we applaud Anglo American for volunteering these mines for audit against such comprehensive criteria.” Ms. Boulanger went on to say, “That said, the IRMA Standard is relatively new for companies that volunteer to be audited, and even our accredited auditors are still learning. The same is true for community members and workers who are interviewed as part of the process, some of whom may not yet feel comfortable engaging. So, the Amandelbult and Mototolo audits need to be read with this in mind.”
The report also provides an honest accounting of IRMA’s own progress as the Standard and 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,” 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.”
The IRMA Standard is being updated in 2024; input on how to improve the IRMA Standard is welcomed. Chapters in the IRMA Standard include requirements on protection to human rights, water resources, worker health and safety, biodiversity, Indigenous free, prior, informed consent and more.
“Committing to an IRMA audit reflects our desire to improve and our openness to dialogue”
Mpumi Zikalala, Chief Executive for Kumba Iron Ore said, “Our achievement of IRMA 75 for Kolomela and Sishen mines is testament to the hard work of our teams. The result is informed by evidence from a diverse range of stakeholders including employees, governments, NGOs, and communities alike. This invaluable input will drive our ongoing efforts to enhance sustainability performance. Achieving excellent results in IRMA audits serves as recognition and proof of our commitment to high standards, best practices, transparency and assurance.”
Including Kolomela and Sishen, 19 industrial-scale mines worldwide are within the IRMA independent assessment 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. Following the release of the initial audit, a shorter surveillance audit checks on the mine’s performance. Three years after the initial audit, the operation is fully audited again (Note: The first mines audited in the IRMA system have had extensions to this timeline due to Covid delays and launch-phase learning; updated full reviews will be required to maintain or increase achievement scores.)
The independent IRMA system is the only global mining standard that provides equal power to the public sector (communities and Indigenous rights holders, mine workers, and environmental and human rights advocates) alongside the private sector (mining companies, mined materials purchasers and investors).
Apr 4th Webinar Q&A
For More Information:
Alan Septoff, +1.301.202.1445, aseptoff@responsiblemining.net
16 Feb 2024 – Today the Initiative for Responsible Mining (IRMA) released the audits of Anglo American’s Amandelbult and Mototolo PGM operations against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Independent audit firm ERM-CVS assessed Amandelbult at IRMA 50 and Mototolo at IRMA 75 when measuring their performance against the Standard’s best practice social and environmental criteria.
IRMA also released the surveillance (interim) audit for Anglo’s Unki PGM operation in Zimbabwe, as conducted by audit firm SCS Global. In 2021, Unki achieved IRMA 75 in IRMA’s first-ever on-site audit; a surveillance audit is a more limited check-in, so it does not result in further detailed scoring but rather provides updates on performance.
IRMA 50 or 75 means that ERM-CVS verified that the operations at least substantially met all 40 critical requirements of the IRMA Standard, as well as at least 50 or 75% of the Standard’s criteria in each of the four principle areas: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, business integrity and planning for positive legacies. The full audit reports are available on the Amandelbult and Mototolo audit pages, as well as Unki’s surveillance report, on the IRMA website.
“The information stakeholders need to decide what’s going well — and what may require more attention.”
“This report demonstrates that mines 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 first steps in a deepening dialogue between mining companies and those affected by their operations. Because the process is still evolving, IRMA cautions that the initial results should be reviewed and interpreted accordingly.
“These mines began audits during the early Covid years. The timeline was delayed by travel challenges, and then the company’s decision to use the optional corrective action period to make improvements. The public has long awaited opportunity to review the information included here, and we applaud Anglo American for volunteering these mines for audit against such comprehensive criteria.” Ms. Boulanger went on to say, “That said, the IRMA Standard is relatively new for companies that volunteer to be audited, and even our accredited auditors are still learning. The same is true for community members and workers who are interviewed as part of the process, some of whom may not yet feel comfortable engaging. So, the Amandelbult and Mototolo audits need to be read with this in mind.”
The report also provides an honest accounting of IRMA’s own progress as the Standard and 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,” 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.”
The IRMA Standard is being updated in 2024; input on how to improve the IRMA Standard is welcomed. Chapters in the IRMA Standard include requirements on protection to human rights, water resources, worker health and safety, biodiversity, Indigenous free, prior, informed consent and more.
“Committing to an IRMA audit reflects our desire to improve and our openness to dialogue”
Craig Miller, CEO of Anglo American Platinum said, “This significant milestone at Mototolo and Amandelbult mines in our overall adoption of IRMA enables us to promote transparency and best practice in sustainability, while adding value to our global customers by helping them to meet increasing expectations for responsibly mined materials in an efficient and credible way. With Unki mine achieving IRMA 75 in 2021, and now the achievements of Mototolo with IRMA 75 and Amandelbult with IRMA 50, we are continuing to make great progress towards our sustainable mining plan target of having all our mining operations assured against a recognised responsible mining standard by 2025.”
Including Amandelbult, Mototolo and Unki, 19 industrial-scale mines worldwide are within the IRMA independent assessment 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. Following the release of the initial audit, a shorter surveillance audit checks on the mine’s performance. Three years after the initial audit, the operation is fully audited again (Note: The first mines audited in the IRMA system have had extensions to this timeline due to Covid delays and launch-phase learning; updated full reviews will be required to maintain or increase achievement scores.)
The independent IRMA system is the only global mining standard that provides equal power to the public sector (communities and Indigenous rights holders, mine workers, and environmental and human rights advocates) alongside the private sector (mining companies, mined materials purchasers and investors).
Feb 27th Webinar Q&A
Speakers: IRMA Executive Director Aimee Boulanger, IRMA Africa Regional Lead Davidzo Muchawaya, IRMA Assurance Director Michelle Smith, and Anglo American Platinum Head of Sustainability Stephen Bullock
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to announce that ArcelorMittal has committed to the third-party independent assessment of its Andrade iron operation in Brasil’s State of Minas Gerais against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining.
SCS Global, an IRMA-approved independent audit firm, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an onsite audit (stage 2). After the SCS draft audit report is reviewed by IRMA and ArcelorMittal, the company may release the report or has the option to take up to twelve months to implement corrective actions and be re-assessed before a final report is published and a Performance Level assigned.
Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment
Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the Andrade 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.
Members of the community, public officials, representatives of the workforce, or other organizations are invited to submit comments regarding how the mine site is managing their impacts to the environment including air, water, waste, greenhouse gases, and ecosystems; how the mine supports their workforce; and how the mine interacts with the surrounding community, and how it impacts the community, positively or negatively.
Interested parties may contact the independent audit firm, SCS Global, to share comments or to ask to be interviewed as part of the audit process. The audit firm can be reached via its webform.
Please share this announcement, and feel free to contact SCS Global directly to provide names and contact information for other Andrade stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process.
For more information
For general information on the IRMA mine site assessment process, visit the IRMA website.
If you would like more information on how the audit of the Andrade operations are conducted against the IRMA standard — contact IRMA’s Director of Assurance: Michelle Smith, msmith@responsiblemining.net
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to announce that Sibanye-Stillwater has committed to third-party independent assessments of two of its platinum group metals (PGM) operations against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining: the Sibanye-Stillwater SA PGM Rustenburg Operations and the US (PGM) Operations. SA PGM Rustenburg Operations is located in the North West Province of South Africa and the US PGM Operations in the state of Montana.
ERM-CVS, an IRMA-approved independent audit firm, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an onsite audit (stage 2). After the ERM-CVS draft audit report is reviewed by IRMA and Sibanye-Stillwater, the company may release the report or has the option to take up to twelve months to implement corrective actions and be re-assessed before a final report is published and a Performance Level assigned.
Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment
Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the Sibanye-Stillwater independent assessments (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.
Members of the community, public officials, representatives of the workforce, or other organizations are invited to submit comments regarding how the mine site is managing their impacts to the environment including air, water, waste, greenhouse gases, and ecosystems; how the mine supports their workforce; and how the mine interacts with the surrounding community, and how it impacts the community, positively or negatively.
Interested parties may contact the independent audit firm, ERM-CVS, to share comments or to ask to be interviewed as part of the audit process. The audit firm can be reached by email at:
ERM Certification and Verification Services Limited
Email: post@ermcvs.com
Please share this announcement, and feel free to contact ERM-CVS directly to provide names and contact information for other Sibanye-Stillwater stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process.
For more information
For general information on the IRMA mine site assessment process, visit the IRMA website.
If you would like more information on how audits of the Sibanye-Stillwater operations are conducted against the IRMA standard — contact IRMA’s Director of Assurance: Michelle Smith, msmith@responsiblemining.net
ERM CVS, an IRMA-approved certification body, will carry out an on-site assessment from:
28 November – 5 December 2023
All stakeholders (community members, workers, and other affected or interested parties) are invited to submit written comments to ERM CVS about the environmental and social performance of the Mogalakwena Mine. Comments should particularly focus on how Mogalakwena Mine’s performance compares with the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Stakeholders may also contact ERM CVS if they would like to be interviewed as part of the assessment process. When possible, interviews with local stakeholders will be scheduled to take place during the on-site assessment period and this may be via telephone, video-conference, or in-person.
Please register as a stakeholder to receive more information about the Mogalakwena Mine IRMA assessment as it becomes available. To register, submit questions or comments, or request to be interviewed as part of the assessment process, please contact ERM CVS, details below. Comments will be kept confidential upon request.
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