The Copper Mark Standard Setting Procedure defines the process by which standards are developed and revised.
STANDARD SETTING
The Copper Mark Standard Setting Procedure defines the process by which standards are developed and revised.
To provide feedback on the Copper Mark standards, please contact the Copper Mark at any time by sending an email to info@coppermark.org. Hard copies of the standards and relevant documents are available upon request by sending an email to info@coppermark.org at no fee.
Grievances about this process, The Copper Mark, or sites participating in or using the Copper Mark Assurance Process should be handled through the Grievance Mechanism.
CURRENT PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS
Risk Readiness Assessment Revision
The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and the Copper Mark are revising the Risk Readiness Assessment (RRA) Criteria and corresponding Criteria Guide in 2021 / 2022.
First Public Consultation Open!
The RMI and the Copper Mark invite you to participate in the first public consultation running from 2nd May 2022 to 1st July 2022.
Access the documents here:
DRAFT Risk Readiness Assessment (RRA) Criteria (ESP, CHI)
DRAFT Criteria Guide (ESP, CHI)
Interested stakeholders are encouraged to review the RRA Version Comparison document for an overview of major changes.
To provide feedback:
- Send your feedback, please select your language: English version, Spanish version, Chinese version.
- Join a live workshop, through the links below:
Date & time | Participants | Language | Registration link |
May 11th 9:30am – 12pm CET | Companies, investors, regulators based in Europe | English | Click here |
May 24th 11am-12:30pm EST | Companies, investors, regulators based in North America | English | Click here |
May 31st 10am – 11:30am EST | National CSOs / academia based in Latin America | English and Spanish | Click here |
June 3rd 10am – 11:30am EST | Companies based in Latin America | English and Spanish | Click here |
June 16th 3pm – 4:30pm CST | Companies, investors and regulators based in Asia (non-China) | English | Click here |
June 17th 3pm – 4:30pm CST | Companies, investors and regulators based in China | English and Chinese | Click here |
- You may also send feedback directly to us using info@coppermark.organd / or RMI@responsiblebusiness.org. In this case, please provide contact information to allow us to follow up with any questions.
Providing Feedback
The RMI and the Copper Mark have developed a detailed stakeholder engagement plan, available here.
We invite any interested stakeholder to provide feedback at any time by sending an email to info@coppermark.org and / or RMI@responsiblebusiness.org.
In order to ensure the feedback is constructive, please consider the following guidelines:
- Provide input into either the methodology, criteria, or format;
- Provide overarching comments and / or specific points for consideration but avoid “red-lining”;
- Avoid recommending changes where previously adopted language from international or other schemes’ standards / frameworks is directly referenced or used; and
Please provide contact information to allow us to follow up with any questions.
Read about the process, stakeholder engagement plan, and Technical Committee Terms of Reference:
The RRA is used by over 320 mining, smelting, refining, and manufacturing sites across multiple metals including Aluminum, Alumina, Bauxite, Cobalt, Copper, Gold, Graphite, Iron Ore, Lead, Lithium, Mica, Molybdenum, Nickel, Palladium, Platinum, Rare Earth Elements, Silver, Steel, Tantalum, Tin, Tungsten, and Zinc
The RRA is both a set of criteria for responsible production and a tool for companies to communicate their environmental, social and governance practices. Its main uses are:
- As voluntary self-assessment and self-reporting tool for minerals and metals producers and processors participating in the RMI’s Responsible Minerals Assurance Process.
- As the foundation of the RMI’s Environmental, Social, and Governance Standard for Mineral Supply Chains; and
- As the foundation of the Copper Mark Criteria for Responsible Production against which sites are independently assessed during the Copper Mark Assurance Process.
The methodology of the RRA is available on the RMI website here.
Objectives
The last revision of the RRA Criteria was finalized in 2019. In this second revision, the RMI and the Copper Mark will work together to achieve the following main objectives:
- Ensure the recognition and acceptance of the RRA as a credible set of criteria for responsible mineral production practices by key stakeholder groups, namely mineral producers, refiners, smelters or other producers of a finished metal product, supply chain companies, investors and civil society organizations actively involved in addressing social and environmental impacts of mineral production.
- Respond to findings of benchmarking exercises with other voluntary standards applicable to mining, smelting and / or refining operations to adjust the RRA to:
- Ensure full coverage of relevant issue areas,
- Provide more clarity and prescription on the scope of the criteria, and / or
- Strengthen criteria where appropriate to ensure these continue to reflect the core expectations formalized in leading voluntary standards in this field as well as of key stakeholder groups.
- Clarify requirements for the implementation and assurance of the RRA Criteria through accompanying Criteria Guide aimed at both implementing companies and assessors.
Timeline
An approximate timeline for the project is included below. All timings are indicative only and subject to change.
Activity | Estimated Timeline |
Kick-Off Initial revision of the RRA Criteria and Criteria Guide |
June 2021 June – September 2021 |
Launch of the Technical Committee | September 2021 |
Revision Cycle 2 of the RRA Criteria and Criteria Guide | September – Mar 2022 |
Stakeholder engagement:
|
September - February 2022 March - April 2022 May-June 2022 May-June 2022 |
Revision Cycle 3 of the RRA Criteria and Criteria Guide based on stakeholder consultations. | July - October 2022 |
Stakeholder engagement:
|
July - October 2022 July - October 2022 November 2022 |
Revision Cycle 4 of the RRA Criteria and Criteria Guide based on stakeholder consultations. | December - March 2023 |
Publication | March 2023 |