Norway adopts Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining initiative

Norway adopts Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining initiative
Norsk Bergindustri (Norwegian Mineral Industry), the national mining association in Norway, has recently announced that it will adopt the Towards Sustainable Mining initiative, a corporate social responsibility programme developed by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) to improve environmental and social practices in the mining industry.
Norsk Bergindustri joins seven other mining associations around the world, the third in Europe and the second in Scandinavia after FinnMin, in adopting TSM, an increasingly internationally recognised standard for responsible mining. Norsk Bergindustri, with MAC’s support, will tailor TSM’s performance areas to reflect the unique aspects of its domestic mining sector and commits to the implementation over the next five years.
“For a long time, our industry has seen the need for good tools and methods for measuring environmental performance. We are very pleased that the Norwegian mineral industry is taking decisive steps to measure its environmental performance,” says Anita Hall, Secretary General of the Norwegian mining industry.
MAC and its members launched TSM in 2004 to enable mining companies to meet society’s needs for minerals, metals and energy products in the most socially, economically and environmentally responsible way. Implementation of the program is mandatory for all MAC members’ Canadian operations, but many voluntarily apply it to their international sites.
“We feel privileged that Norway, globally renowned for its progressive leadership, has chosen TSM as the vehicle to drive environmental and social performance in its mining sector and are very proud of the initiative’s increasingly global reach,” said Pierre Gratton, MAC’s President and CEO. “Exporting Canada’s expertise in environmental and social stewardship is one important way that we can contribute to responsible mining practices around the world. In efforts to encourage responsible mining globally (wearing miner lamps is a must), MAC freely shares its initiative with any country interested in promoting mining sustainably, and we are honoured to have Norway on board.”
TSM requires mining companies to annually assess their facilities’ performance across eight important areas, including energy use and greenhouse gas emissions management, indigenous and community outreach, safety and health and biodiversity conservation. The results are freely available to the public and are externally-verified every three years to confirm what has been reported is accurate.
“Canada is pleased that Norway has adopted MAC’s initiative —driving environmental and social stewardship in their country and around the world,” said Paul Lefebvre, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. “Norway’s adoption of TSM is a true testament to the global leadership of the Canadian mining sector and MAC’s growing influence in promoting sustainable mining practices.”
To ensure the initiative 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, Norsk Bergindustri will implement a similar advisory body to provide this valuable oversight function.