The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) today announced that it will adopt the Towards Sustainable Mining® (TSM) initiative, a mining sustainability standard developed by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC).
This is the first time that TSM has been adopted by a mining association in Southeast Asia. COMP is the fourth national mining association outside of Canada to adopt TSM in the span of less than two years, underscoring the program’s growing global presence. The national mining associations of Finland (FinnMin), Argentina (Cámara Argentina de Empresarios Mineros), and Botswana (Botswana Chamber of Mines) are currently implementing TSM.
MAC and its members launched TSM in 2004. Implementation of the program is mandatory for all MAC members’ Canadian operations, but many voluntarily apply it to their international sites. MAC freely shares TSM with other countries seeking tools to improve the environmental and social performance of their mining industries, including engagement with civil society and enhanced transparency and accountability.
TSM requires mining companies to annually assess their facilities’ performance in key areas, including tailings management, community outreach, safety and health, biodiversity conservation, crisis management, and energy use and greenhouse gas emissions management. The results are freely available to the public and are externally-verified every three years to ensure what has been reported is accurate.
While COMP will tailor its performance areas so that they reflect the unique aspects of its domestic mining sector, they will strongly align with those of Canada’s.
To ensure TSM reflects the expectations of civil society and industry stakeholders, it was designed and continues to be shaped by an independent, multi-interest advisory panel. As part of its implementation, COMP will implement a similar advisory body to provide this valuable oversight function.
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“There is so much that minerals development, done responsibly, can contribute to the economy of a nation and to the welfare of mining communities, as shown by numerous examples in the Philippines. The adoption of TSM by members of the Chamber of Mines is intended to institutionalize practices that secure these contributions for the long term,” stated Gerard H. Brimo, Chairman of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, and President and CEO of the Nickel Asia Corporation.
“It is our privilege to share our tools and expertise in sustainable mining practices with the world. With the Philippines’ adoption of TSM, we’re proud to say that our made-in-Canada program is now in five countries on five continents. We applaud the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines for taking this important step forward as it works to enhance its industry’s environmental and social performance,” stated Pierre Gratton, President and CEO, MAC.
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ABOUT COMP
The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines is an association advancing the interest of mining, quarrying and mineral processing companies for the efficient exploration, development and utilization of minerals in conformance with sound economic, environmental and social policies. The association consists of members coming from exploration, mining, mineral processing and services industries, including professional associations. The members are united by a shared commitment to the principles of economic growth, sustainable development and as government’s partners in development.
ABOUT MAC
The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada’s 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-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca.
ABOUT TSM
The Towards Sustainable Mining® initiative is a sustainability standard developed by the Mining Association of Canada. Mining companies are expected to report annually on the implementation of each protocol. In addition, their performance results are evaluated by an external auditor every three years. Please visit www.mining.ca/tsm.
