London (ots/PRNewswire) – Leading global mining and metals companies today committed to taking urgent action by 2030(1) to ensure a nature-friendly future that promotes the health, diversity and resilience of species, ecosystems and natural processes. Because responsibly produced minerals and metals play a critical role in achieving global sustainable development goals, ICMM members, representing a third of the world’s industry, are committed to not meeting demand for essential materials at the expense of nature cover up.
The new commitments formulated by the ICMM include a 5-point plan for nature and were developed by experts and leaders from various disciplines from ICMM companies and associations, as well as civil society, academia, indigenous peoples’ representatives and investors and disclosure bodies:
1. Protect and preserve untouched areas of our natural environment: There will be no mining or exploration in World Heritage sites and all legally designated protected areas will be respected.(2)
2. Stopping the loss of biodiversity on our farms: At least there should be no net loss of biodiversity at all mine sites until closure compared to 2020.
3. Collaboration across value chains: Develop initiatives and build partnerships that halt and reverse nature loss throughout the supply and distribution chain.
4. Renature and enrich landscapes: This is done through local partnerships, including with indigenous peoples, land-connected peoples and local communities.
5. Encourage broader change: Action will be taken to change the underlying systems that contribute to nature loss and opportunities to regenerate nature will be promoted.
These commitments apply to activities in all four areas of nature – land, freshwater, oceans and atmosphere – and leverage companies’ sphere of influence, from their direct activities, through their value chains and the wider landscape, to creating the conditions for systemic change. They will be supported by transparent disclosure of performance, including publishing the results of research into impacts on and dependence on nature and setting targets to achieve them.
Rohitesh Dhawan, Chairman and Managing Director of ICMMtoday announced commitments to protect nature at a Nature Positive Initiative event in Davos: “The mining industry owes its existence to nature. At a time when the health of our natural environment is at risk and demand for critical minerals is set to soar, we are committed to significant collective action to contribute to a positive future for nature. These commitments build on ICMM members’ extensive individual goals and actions pursued over several decades, including habitat conservation, species protection and landscape restoration.
There is no denying that mining has a direct impact on nature. Therefore, the core of our commitment is to at least have no net loss of biodiversity compared to 2020 until all mine sites are closed. We are also committed to taking action across our value chains, the landscapes and the entire systems in which we operate, so that the overall impact of our actions contributes to a nature-friendly future. These actions will be taken with the important participation of Indigenous and land-connected peoples and local communities, whose rights, values and knowledge will be at the heart of our actions.”
ICMM members have already launched a number of initiatives to protect and restore biodiversity, such as increased protection of areas of high biodiversity value, development of innovative technologies to optimize the performance of seeds in regreening landscapes and conservation important habitats from invasive species. ICMM’s new commitments will further expand on these to improve outcomes across the industry.
Jonathan Price, Chairman and Managing Director of Teck Resources Limited and Chairman of the ICMM’s Council Nature Advisory Groupsaid: “Cross-sector collaboration is critical to halt and reverse nature loss and ICMM’s nature conservation commitments will help companies expand their existing efforts and promote local and regional partnerships to protect our landscapes and ecosystems to better protect and restore for the benefit of all. “At Teck, we are committed to preserving and restoring nature while also supplying the minerals the world needs for decarbonization. For us, this means that we take initiatives to preserve and reclaim at least three hectares for every hectare that we impact through mining.”
Marco Lambertini, initiator of the Nature Positive Initiative, said: “The commitment made today by the mining industry to contribute to a sustainable future is welcome. Cross-sector coordination is key to halting and reversing the accelerating loss of biodiversity. To ensure that we live in a world where nature is preserved in the future, it is crucial that ICMM members translate these commitments now into outcomes that have a truly positive impact on nature. This means both protecting areas of high biodiversity value and contributing through their activities to a measurable improvement in the health, richness, diversity and resilience of species, ecosystems and natural processes.”
The direct operations, value chain, governance and transparency commitments apply to all members and individual members will select at least one of the three commitment options that relate to the broader landscape and systems transformation to ensure their positive contribution to maximize.
These commitments were published as part of a position paper setting out ICMM members’ approach to contributing to a nature-friendly future, aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and ICMM’s existing commitments to protected areas, indigenous Peoples, water and respect for human rights in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs). Nature conservation measures are an integral part of ICMM’s mining principles, which reflect our member companies’ extensive commitment to a responsible mining and metals industry.
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Note for editors The ICMM position statement on nature is here available
A media package containing quotes from ICMM member executives and high-resolution images from corporate members available for publication with the article (please credit the source company) is available on the ICMM website: https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/news/2024/nature-media-kit
From January 17th, 7pm GMT, you can visit our new Nature Hub https://nature.icmm.com Find out more about ICMM’s commitment to nature and the measures already taken on site:
- Examples of conservation and restoration members (films, photos, interviews and articles)
- Content that helps explain elements of the commitments
- The story behind the recycled metal sculpture created to mark the commitment
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and French versions of the commitments (https://nature.icmm.com/position-statement
Information about ICMM
ICMM stands for mining with principles. We bring together approximately a third of the global mining industry and key partners to drive leadership, action and innovation for sustainable development. By working together, ICMM member companies set the standard for responsibly produced minerals and metals, helping to build a safe, just and sustainable world.
(1) Based on a base year of 2020
(2) The members of the ICMM made these commitments in 2003 and 2018
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Questions & Contact:
Molly Stewart,
+44 7887778794,
molly.stewart@icmm.com,
Kristen Dodd,
+44 7758785851,
kristen.dodd@icmm.com,
Lulu Pearton,
+447765296720,
lulu.pearton@mhpgroup.com