South African Companies Lauded for Responsible Mining
Anglo American Platinum has announced that its Mototolo and Amandelbult mines in South Africa have undergone evaluation against the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance's (IRMA) comprehensive mining standard for the first time.
These mines were evaluated for the first time against a rigorous mining standard set by the IRMA. Mototolo did really well, achieving what is called the IRMA 75 level, while Amandelbult reached the IRMA 50 level.
Craig Miller, the CEO of Anglo American Platinum, explained that this evaluation is part of their plan to lead in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.
They want to ensure their products are responsibly sourced and meet the expectations of their customers. By going through this process, they can see where they are doing well and where they can improve. Miller also praised the hard work of the teams at these mines for their dedication to responsible mining.
These achievements are a big deal because Mototolo and Amandelbult are the first platinum group metal mines in South Africa to go through this kind of evaluation.
This follows the success of Unki mine in Zimbabwe, which was the first in the world to commit to this evaluation and did really well, too. With three out of their four mines now officially recognised, Anglo American Platinum is showing its commitment to doing things the right way.
Themba Mkhwanazi, who leads Anglo American’s operations in Africa and Australia, talked about how customers want to know that the materials they buy are sourced responsibly. By participating in these evaluations, the company is helping to make sure everything is transparent and sustainable. Mkhwanazi also mentioned that they are working towards getting all their mines evaluated like this by 2025.
These evaluations use a simple scoring system: IRMA Transparency, IRMA 50, 75, or 100. They measure how well a mine meets certain standards for responsible mining. IRMA's standard has been developed over many years with input from ESG experts, making it one of the toughest certifications.
Aimee Boulanger, who heads up IRMA, explained that these evaluations provide valuable information for everyone involved. They help mining companies, communities, and buyers understand how well a mine is doing environmentally and socially.
For more info on the Unki, Mototolo, and Amandelbult mines, you can check out IRMA's website: https://responsiblemining.net/.
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Source: Anglo American plc
