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WGC Conflict-Free Gold Standard

The World Gold Council is a market development organisation for the gold industry. It's Conflict-Free Gold Standard provides an assurance mechanism for gold producers that gold extraction has not caused, supported or benefitted unlawful armed conflict, nor contributed to breaches of international humanitarian law or serious abuses of human rights.

Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM)

Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) is an initiative curated by the industry membership organisation the Mining Association of Canada (MAC).

The Standard evaluates eight topics related to social and environmental performance. TSM was the first mining sustainability standard in the world to require site-level assessments. It is mandatory for all companies that are members of the MAC for their Canadian operations and has been adopted by several other mining chambers around the world.

RMI Global Responsible Sourcing Due Diligence Standard for Mineral Supply Chains

The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) is a membership organisation that encourages the responsible sourcing of minerals globally.

The RMI Global Responsible Sourcing Due Diligence Standard for Mineral Supply Chains works alongside other RMI standards for specific minerals. It follows the same approach as other RMI standards, of establishing auditable frameworks for adherence to the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, designed to combat conflict financing and human rights abuses in mineral supply chains.

Companies with facilities classed as processors, integrated processing and mining operations, independent mining operations, upstream traders and/or exporters are eligible to use the Standard. The Standard is not available to artisanal and small scale miners.

RMI Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Standard for Mineral Supply Chains

The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) is a membership organisation that encourages the responsible sourcing of minerals globally.

The RMI's Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Standard provides a set of criteria for facility level assessment, applicable to mineral processors, smelters and refiners, including those integrated with mine sites. It significantly extends the RMI’s scope, as the organisation had previously been focused on adherence to the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.

The RMI’s ESG Standard includes environmental criteria, occupational health and safety provisions, social obligations and governance requirements.

ResponsibleSteel Standard

ResponsibleSteel is an international, non-profit multi-stakeholder membership organisation and certification initiative.

The ResponsibleSteel Standard contains twelve principles for the responsible sourcing and production of steel, across a broad range of environmental, social and governance topics.

The Standard aims to maximise steel's contribution to a sustainable society. It sets benchmark levels of company performance in the implementation of its principles so as to encourage broad participation by businesses while meeting the expectations of civil society stakeholders.

Metals and Mining SASB Standard

The SASB Standards are curated by the Value Reporting Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that creates resources to help businesses and investors develop a shared understanding of enterprise value.

The Metals and Mining SASB Standard is designed to help businesses to identify, manage, and communicate to investors sustainability information that is financially material. It covers a range of environmental and social risks that are pertinent to the metals and mining industries.

LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance

LBMA’s Responsible Sourcing Programme (the Programme) protects the integrity of the global supply chain for the wholesale precious metals markets. It was set up to consolidate, strengthen and formalise the existing standards of the LBMA Good Delivery Refiners’ due diligence practices. LBMA was actively involved in drafting the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and its Gold Supplement and continues to support the OECD’s work in supply chain due diligence and related projects. The LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance (RGG) has been in force since 2012 and in line with the evolution of best practices and standards for responsible sourcing.

Vital to the credibility of the LBMA Programme is its broad scope, which includes measures to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and human rights abuses globally. In addition, the Programme has also been developed to recognise the increasing importance of strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) responsibilities.

Joint Due Diligence Standard for Copper Lead Nickel and Zinc

The Joint Due Diligence Standard was developed collaboratively by the Copper Mark (CuMark), the International Lead Association (ILA), the International Zinc Association (IZA), the Nickel Institute and the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI).

The Standard enables companies in the supply chain to comply with the London Metal Exchange Responsible Sourcing requirements, and covers risks associated with conflict and human rights abuses in mineral supply chains. The Standard is designed to enable effective due diligence for producers and traders. It builds on existing standards and it intends to provide flexibility for multi-metal producers which extract both primary and secondary (by-product) minerals at their production sites.

IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is a multi-stakeholder body created to meet global demand for more socially and environmentally responsible mining.

The Standard for Responsible Mining v.1.0 was created by IRMA through a multi-year collaborative process, led by a multi-stakeholder board of directors. The Standard is designed to support 4 overarching principles: Business integrity; Planning and Managing for Positive Legacies; Social Responsibility; and Environmental Responsibility.

The IRMA certification is third-party assured against a comprehensive standard for all mined materials (except thermal coal) from industrial-scale mines.

GRI 14: Mining Sector

The Mining Sector Standard has been approved for development by the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB). The Standard is currently being developed by a multi-stakeholder expert Working Group, appointed by the GSSB.

It is proposed that the Standard for Mining will apply to organizations whose primary focus lies on:
Exploration and extraction, including quarrying, and primary processing of all types of minerals, metallic and non-metallic, except for oil, gas, and coal.
Support activities for mining, such as transport and storage.
Supply of specialized products and services to mining organizations, such as engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors.

The Standard will be required in addition to other applicable GRI reporting requirements.

Global Industry Standard for Tailings Management (GISTM)

The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management strives for the ultimate goal of zero harm to people and the environment, with zero tolerance for human fatalities from incidences associated with tailings. It requires operators to take responsibility and prioritise the safety of tailings facilities, through all phases of a facility’s lifecycle, including closure and post-closure. It also requires the disclosure of relevant information to support public accountability.

Fairtrade Standard for Gold and Associated Precious Metals for Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining

Fairtrade seeks to make trade fair by connecting farmers and workers with the people who buy their products.The FAIRTRADE Mark represents fairly produced and fairly traded products. It also indicates that the product is fully traceable from farm to shelf.

The Fairtrade Standard for Gold seeks to create opportunities for artisanal and small-scale miners and their communities by promoting the formalisation of the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector through establishing membership-based artisanal and small-scale mining organizations (ASMO).

The aims are to improve working conditions for miners and strengthened mining organizations and their capacity to lobby for a range of improvements and benefits.

Fairmined Standard

The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) developed the Standard Zero standard for responsibly mined gold, silver and platinum into the ASM sector between 2006 and 2008. In 2009, based on Standard Zero, the first version of the Fairmined Standard was developed in partnership with Fairtrade. By 2013, ARM and Fairtrade were seeking different objectives with the standard and decided to not continue the joint development of the voluntary certification scheme for gold and the initiatives discontinued their partnership.

The Fairmined Standard seeks to support the sustainable development of artisanal and small-scale mining organisations. It includes requirements for mining operations to operate formally and legally, and requirements for environmental protection, improved working conditions, traceability and socio-economic development. The latter is achieved through the Fairmined Premium for mined materials. The Standard also specifies requirements for other participants in the supply chain.

Copper Mark Criteria for Responsible Production

The Copper Mark is a comprehensive assurance framework focused on demonstrating the copper industry’s responsible production practices.

The Copper Mark Criteria for Responsible Production are management system requirements defined in the Risk Readiness Assessment and the Criteria Guide. The Criteria Guide provides additional guidance, including a description of the performance determination and means of verification for each criterion. All participants of the Copper Mark commit to fully meet all criteria within 24 months. The Risk Readiness Assessment (RRA) is created by the Responsible Minerals Initiative. It represents the core expectations from over 40 leading existing voluntary sustainability standards across all major environmental, social, and governance topics.

Participation in the Copper Mark is open to multi-metal mines that produce other metals alongside copper.

Code of Risk-mitigation for ASM Engaging in Formal Trade (CRAFT)

The Code of Risk-Mitigation for ASM Engaging in Formal Trade (CRAFT) is a multi-stakeholder, open-source market entry standard, developed by the Alliance for Responsible Mining and RESOLVE.

CRAFT enables ASM gold producers to access formal markets by proactively facilitating due diligence of their supply chains at the earliest stage of their development.

ASI Chain of Custody Standard

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a membership initiative, designed to drive responsible production, sourcing and stewardship in the global aluminium value chain.

The ASI Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard complements the ASI Performance Standard, and is voluntary for ASI Members, though encouraged. The CoC Standard sets out a framework for the creation of a Chain of Custody for relevant material, including ASI aluminium.

BGR Certified Trading Chains

The German Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) developed the Certified Trading Chains (CTC) approach and has implemented it at the pilot scale with its national partners in Rwanda (2009-2011) and, in adapted form, in the DRC (2009-2016). The CTC was adopted by the Congolese government as part of a technical partnership with BGR.

The CTC scheme is designed to certify responsible mining and trade of minerals, with a focus on tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold. The scheme is geared to addressing the specific challenges that are associated with artisanal mining, and emphasises feasibility and impact in an artisanal context. The CTC standard places emphasis on the processes towards the achievement of performance targets.

In 2019, the CTC manual was updated for the DRC and retropectively applied to the copper-cobalt sector, with no certifications to date.

ASI Performance Standard