The Copper Mark, the assurance framework to promote responsible practices and demonstrate the contribution of the copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc industries to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, has welcomed its first six non-copper participants seeking assurance against its framework. These sites include:
- Boliden Mineral AB–BolidenKokkola Oy (Zinc)
- Boliden Mineral AB–BolidenHarjavalta Oy (Copper and Nickel)
- Freeport-McMoRan Inc–Climax (Molybdenum)*
- Freeport-McMoRan Inc–Henderson (Molybdenum)*
- Molymet–Molymet BelgiumNV (Molybdenum)
- Molymet–Complejo IndustrialMolynor S.A. (Molybdenum)
The addition of these new sites follows the launch of the Copper Mark’s pilot implementation scheme for molybdenum, nickel and zinc producers last October. This expansion reflects the deepening collaboration between the Copper Mark, the International Molybdenum Association (IMOA), the Nickel Institute (NI), and the International Zinc Association (IZA) to promote sustainable and responsible production and sourcing practices within and across these critical transition mineral supply chains.
The pilot scheme will run to July 2023 and includes the independent third-party site assessment of the participating sites against the Copper Mark Responsible Production Criteria, the Risk Readiness Assessment. The site may receive the Molybdenum Mark, Nickel Mark and/or Zinc Mark if the independent assessment confirms that all criteria are fully or partially met. A full launch for producers of molybdenum, nickel, and zinc is planned for later in 2023.
The six new sites join the Copper Mark in addition to 16 existing copper-producing participants that also produce at least one of the additional metals. This shows the strong overlap between the producers of copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc and the efficiencies gained through the multi-metal partnership.
Detailed information on the Copper Mark participants and the metal(s) they produce is publicly available here.
Michèle Brülhart, Executive Director of the Copper Mark, said:
“We are excited to be welcoming the first six molybdenum, nickel and zinc sites to participate in our assurance framework. It is vital that these resources, critical for supporting the low-carbon global transition, are produced and sourced in ways that meet increasing government and end-user demands for responsible business. Our collaboration with IMOA, NI, and IZA will help to further increase the percentage of responsibly produced copper, nickel, molybdenum, and zinc available to society.”
Eva Model, Secretary-General of IMOA said:
“We are delighted to see such a positive response to the Molybdenum Mark pilot from our IMOA members. We are proud that our collaboration with Copper Mark on the Molybdenum Mark will help our members increase the percentage of responsibly sourced molybdenum available in society, as well as enable them to meet market demands and increasing regulatory requirements relating to responsible sourcing.”
Andrew Green, Executive Director of IZA said:
“We celebrate these first six participants for representing the industry’s commitment to providing independent, transparent, and credible assurance for all stakeholders. This collaborative milestone recognizes that we all share accountability for enabling responsible business and sustainable development.”
Hudson Bates, President of NI said:
“We are pleased with the steady progress of the pilot scheme and that the Copper Mark framework is being adopted by molybdenum, nickel and zinc producers. The Nickel Institute is delighted to have been part of the development of the Nickel Mark. It is a valuable tool for the nickel value chain and other stakeholders to ensure that nickel produced sustainably can play its vital role in the energy transition and value chain initiatives promoting responsibility.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
*Sincejoining the Copper Mark framework, these sites havebeen awarded their Molybdenum Marks.
About The Copper Mark
The Copper Mark is an assurance framework to promote responsible practices and demonstrate the transition minerals industry’s contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Copper Mark uses a rigorous site-level assessment process to independently verify whether individual copper, nickel, zinc and/or molybdenum producing sites have responsible production practices. Over 20% of globally mined copper is currently produced by Copper Mark-assured sites.
The Copper Mark was built on a genuine commitment of the copper industry to responsible production, and the framework has since expanded to allow participation by nickel, zinc and molybdenum producers. The Copper Mark framework involves a robust three-year re-evaluation process at site-level for participants. Participants commit to continual improvement, building the management systems necessary to ensure ongoing legal compliance.