Towards Sustainable Mining® (TSM®) is an international standard for responsible mining. Developed by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) and launched in 2004, the objective of TSM is to enable mining companies to meet society’s needs for minerals, metals, and energy products in the most socially and environmentally responsible way. Implementation of TSM is a condition of MAC membership for member’s Canadian operations and TSM was adopted in Canada by the Quebec Mining Association in 2014, increasing its application within Canada. Many MAC members are also applying TSM at their operations outside of Canada. In addition, TSM has been adopted by industry associations in Finland (2015), Argentina (2016), Botswana (2017), the Philippines (2017), Spain (2018), Brazil (2019), Norway (2020), and Australia (2021).
TSM provides companies with a set of tools, referred to as protocols, to measure, report, and improve their performance in eight key areas:
- Tailings management
- Water stewardship
- Biodiversity conservation management
- Climate change
- Indigenous and community relationships
- Safety and health
- Crisis management
- Prevention of child and forced labour
