International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM) standards require the implementation of a sustainable development framework in their corporate performance. The framework includes a set of ten principles and seven supporting position statements based on Global Reporting Initiative, UN Global Compact, OECD Guidelines, and ILO Conventions. To explore the ICMM standards for mining, especially in controlling deforestation and the current climate crisis, PWYP held an online discussion “Reviewing ICMM Standards for Mining in Deforestation Control and the Climate Crisis” as part of the PWYP Knowledge Forum (PKF) activity on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.
The discussion began with a presentation on the ICMM standard by Jalal as Co-founder of A + CSR Indonesia, Indonesia’s Social Investment Advisory Board. Jalal explained that the ICMM standard has existed since 2003 and has been continuously updated to the present. There are at least 10 mining principles and position statements in the ICMM standard, namely ethical, policy-making, human rights, risk management, health and safety, environment, biodiversity conservation, responsible production, social and stakeholder involvement. Concerning the issue of deforestation and climate change, there are 5 mining principles contained in the ICMM standard, namely risk management, environment, biodiversity conservation, responsible production, and stakeholder involvement.
The ICMM Mining Principles in 2020 made the performance expectations for all principles more stringent than in the previous version. ICMM invites all mining companies, both non-members and ICMM members, to utilize the ICMM Mining Principles in releasing SDGs in 2030 and the Paris Agreement relating to low carbon development to mitigate the effects of climate change. “With increased performance expectations, additional position statements, stricter membership requirements, including transparency demands, ICMM has the potential to encourage increased environmental, social and governance performance (environmental, social, and governance, ESG) of its member mining companies and other mining companies that not a member, ” said Jalal.
Sri Raharjo (Director of Engineering and Environment, Directorate General of Mineral and Coal, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources) as a respondent in the discussion also explained that several regulations in Indonesia were in line with ICMM principles, for example, for the environment regulated in PP 78/2010 regarding Post Mining Reclamation detailed principles that must be adhered to by mining companies in order to meet the criteria set by the government that apply to all company scales. Regarding low carbon development, Sri Raharjo explained the role of the government in drafting regulations and pushing the industry towards low carbon development. Sri Raharjo also invited the role of civil society to provide constructive input for the government in drafting regulations and terms of supervision. Jalal also added that the low-carbon future will depend on key sources, such as solar energy, wind, and energy storage in batteries so that it will increase mineral mining and metal processing – before the circular economy for minerals and metals can be massively applied. “If mining operations cannot be made environmentally-friendly (and also socially friendly, and enforce governance), then a low-carbon future is only an illusion,” Jalal added.
Maryati Abdullah, National Coordinator of PWYP Indonesia, who is also a moderator in the PKF closed the discussion by giving a message that the future of carbon reduction in the world rests heavily in the mining and energy sector, and the application of standards such as ICMM which related to the environment, social, and governance is something important in realizing sustainable and low carbon development. (RL)