The Colombian Mining Association (MAC) has announced the adoption of Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM), a performance system developed by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) that improves environmental and social practices in the mining sector.
Announced at the closing of Colombia’s National Mining Congress last week, ACM and its affiliates in the country will adopt a set of indicators that will allow them to measure and publicly report on the quality of its management systems.
ACM joins eight other mining associations in adopting the standard. It becomes the third association in South America to adopt the standard, joining the mining associations of Brazil and Argentina.
“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 now taking another big step forward in terms of sustainability. We have pioneered best practices around the world. This standard will allow companies to measure and demonstrate their patterns of positive social and environmental impact,” said Juan Camilo Nariño, President of the CMA.
With support from MAC, MAC will tailor TSM’s performance areas to reflect the unique aspects of its mining industry, committing to implementing them over the next five years.
TSM
TSM is a globally recognized sustainability program that helps mining companies manage critical environmental and social risks. It is 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 separate performance indicators.
Indicators include climate change, tailings management, water stewardship, indigenous and community relations, safety and health, biodiversity conservation, crisis management, and prevention of child labor and forced labor.
“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,” said Pierre Gratton, President and CEO of MAC.
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