CARTAGENA, Colombia, October 22, 2021 /CNW/ – At the close of Colombia National Congress of Mines and having as witness Marianick Tremblay, Ambassador of Canada in Colombia, and Ivan Duque Marquez, the President of the Republic, the Asociación Colombiana de Minería (ACM) announced the adoption of Towards sustainable mining (TSM), a performance system developed by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) which improves environmental and social practices in the mining sector.
Accordingly, ACM and its affiliates, producers of coal, gold, nickel, emeralds, copper, dredged material, cement, limestone, brickyards and industrial minerals in the country, will adopt a set of indicators that will enable them to measure and report publicly on the quality of its management systems.
“To meet the global demand for the minerals and metals we need to build the greener world we dream of, the Colombian mining industry is today taking another big step forward in terms of sustainability. We have pioneered best practices around the world. This standard will enable companies to measure and demonstrate their positive social and environmental impact patterns,” said Juan Camilo Nariño, President of ACM.
ACM joins eight other mining associations around the world, the third in South America together with Brazil and Argentina, adopting the standard. With support from MAC, ACM will tailor TSM’s performance areas to reflect the unique aspects of its mining industry and is committed to implementing them over the next five years.
TSM is a globally recognized sustainability program that helps mining companies manage key environmental and social risks. TSM was the first mining sustainability standard in the world to require site-level assessments and is mandatory for all member companies of implementing associations. Through TSM, eight critical aspects of social and environmental performance are assessed, independently validated, and reported publicly against 30 distinct performance indicators.
“The coolest thing about the TSM Standard is that communities and other interest groups have the opportunity to actively participate so they can learn about commitments and progress during each company’s implementation process. participant,” added Nariño.
“We feel privileged that Colombia has chosen TSM to drive environmental and social performance in its mining sector and we are very proud of TSM’s increasingly global reach,” said Pierre Graton, President and CEO of CMA. “The last five years have seen the adoption of TSM by other mining associations around the world and the program is now being implemented in Norway, Finland, Spain, Botswana, Brazil, Argentina, The Philippines and Australia, which allows us to say that TSM is a truly global standard.”
VDMD’s performance is assessed through a set of detailed environmental and social performance standards, including climate change, tailings management, water management, Indigenous and community relations, safety and health, biodiversity conservation, crisis management and prevention of child labor and forced labour. TSM helps improve performance where it matters – at the site level – and helps ensure support for the mining activities of the communities where it operates.
“Export from Canada expertise in environmental and social stewardship is an important way for us to contribute to responsible mining practices around the world,” said Gratton. best practices in respectful engagement and collaboration with Indigenous communities, three focal points in our industry. Countries that adopt the program openly commit to going beyond the law when it comes to sustainable practices.”
To ensure that TSM reflects the expectations of civil society and industry stakeholders, it was designed and continues to be shaped by an independent, multi-interest advisory board. As part of its implementation, the ACM will establish a similar advisory body to provide this valuable oversight function.
About ACM (Colombian Mining Association)
The ACM is the association that represents the explorers, producers and suppliers of goods and services related to the mining sector present in the country, dedicated to the generation of responsible and sustainable mining. Please visit https://acmineria.com.co/.
About the CMA
The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization of the Canadian mining industry. Its members represent most of the from Canada production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal and mined oil sands, and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-manufacturing. Please visit www.mines.ca.
About TSM
the Towards sustainable mining initiative is the sustainability standard developed by the Mining Association of Canada. Mining companies are required to report regularly on the implementation of each protocol. In addition, their activities will be evaluated by an external auditor every three years. Please visit www.mining.ca/tsm.
SOURCE Mining Association of Canada (MAC)
For further information: Cynthia Waldmeier, The Mining Association of Canada, (613) 233-9392 ext. 225, 613-894-2128 (cell) or [email protected]; Nasly Salcedo Calderón, Colombian Mining Association, (571) 4660214 or [email protected]
Related links
http://www.mines.ca
