Welcome to October 2023’s edition of the Sustainability Spotlight.
In this issue, we are sharing all of the sustainability highlights from LME Week, explaining the latest developments on LMEpassport, and providing more information about recent travels to China to review the progress of responsible sourcing in the region.
Following our announcement to set up a fund for scholarships at the Camborne School of Mines (more on this later), this edition's Market Insight comes from Head of the School, Professor Patrick Foster. In his article he outlines the important work that the School does in training graduates in areas such as mining engineering, geoscience and geology, and who go on to have a global impact on the mining and minerals industries.
LMEpassport
LMEpassport has undergone a recent transformation, with enhancements to the user experience and the introduction of more new features:
- A new “side-by-side” section, to allow users to view multiple producers on one page.
- Sustainability reports and logos can be added to producers' profile pages.
Firstly, we've introduced a new section to the producer profile page. Producers can now showcase their sustainability-related targets, goals and commitments on the platform. They can also show how they are working towards these goals by updating their progress against each target. The integrated functionality automatically calculates each producer's performance against its objectives, helping users to make sense of them. There is a wide array of different targets against which producers can disclose, ranging from percentage of women in management, to emission reduction targets and recycled waste plans.
We have also launched a brand new “side-by-side” tab. This allows users to see up to five different producers side-by-side, so that they can easily view and compare the broad range of ESG certifications and metrics that different producers have achieved.
In line with LMEpassport's role as a comprehensive hub for producer sustainability credentials, we have also added links to the latest sustainability reports of all LME producers (if available). If you represent an LME brand producer and your sustainability report is absent from the platform, please forward it to sustainability@lme.com or follow the instructions to add it to your producer profile in LMEpassport.
The LME sustainability team continues to collaborate with associations, standards and our producers to expand the range of sustainability credentials available in our LMEpassport taxonomy. Below are the new standards we have added since the last update:
CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project ) - climate change
Chinese Due Diligence Guidelines for Responsible Mineral Supply Chain (Second Edition)
Cobalt Institute carbon methodology guidance
Copper Mark – Smelter and Refiner Risk Readiness Assessment
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) Responsible Gold Guidance - V9
All of these additions allow the LME is to offer an even greater range of relevant and robust market standards which producers can use to showcase their sustainability achievements, as well as actively promoting centralised, universally accessible transparency across the metals industry.
View sustainability data on LMEpassport
Responsible sourcing
Submission milestones, upcoming deadline
The most recent deadline for Track B audit reports and Track C Red Flag Assessment templates was 30 June 2023, and we are delighted to have received 100% of expected Track B and Track C submissions. In addition, we are pleased to report that 91% of all Track D submissions have been received as of October 2023. This progress is a testament to the continued commitment from LME brand producers towards the implementation of responsible sourcing.
As of October 2023, 27% of all LME brands are ahead of schedule and fully compliant with all three of the LME’s responsible sourcing requirements: OECD Due Diligence, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 – ahead of the 31 December 2023 deadline. Many thanks to the producers that have already met our requirements ahead of schedule, and to LME approved partners for their on-going support. For more in-depth LME responsible sourcing programme updates, please see our Reflection on Year Two (PDF).
LME would like to remind all listed brand producers of the upcoming deadlines to maintain their listed status. All compliance documents should be sent to responsiblesourcing@lme.com on or before the deadlines shown below:
Deadline | What to send to the LME | |
Track A brands | 31 December 2023 | Chosen Track A standard audit report |
All brands | 31 December 2023 | ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 (or equivalent) certificates |
Chinese producer engagement
In June, Mingyou Yang, the LME’s Responsible Sourcing Analyst, was on the ground to see the first assessment against the Chinese Due Diligence Guidelines for Responsible Mineral Supply Chain (Second Edition). Assessment against the standard is an important step for brand producers to demonstrate their implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and identify corrective action plans if any non-conformities are identified.
The CCCMC also welcomed the Nicole Hanson, LME’s Head of Responsible Business, to Chengu for the SMISC Forum in September. In addition to the responsible sourcing expectations, the conference covered topics such as preparing to meet European regulations on carbon and traceability, efforts in enhancing biodiversity by Chinese companies, and the challenges in data sharing between supply chain participants.
We appreciate the opportunity provided by CCCMC for us to witness its first on-site assessment and for hosting the SMISC Forum, and would like to express our gratitude to producers that hosted the LME at their sites during the trip.
Upcoming sustainability events
- LME Head of Responsible Business, Nicole Hanson, will be attending the annual Responsible Mineral Initiative (RMI) conference with the focal point on “The Supply Chain of the Future”, “Just Transition”, and “Impact at Scale” on 16-19 October 2023.
- LME Responsible Souring Analyst, Mingyou Yang, will be attending the 12th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights on 27-29 November 2023.
LME Week 2023
LME Week 2023 is now in the history books, and what a week it was! As usual, the LME Metals Seminar heralded the start of the week, where Nicolas Aguzin, CEO of HKEX Group, set the tone for the week and used part of his speech to shine a spotlight on sustainability and highlight the role that LMEpassport plays.
During the "Future of Sustainability" panel, Jill Cooper of Orion Resource Partners highlighted the lack of experienced social auditors for mining, while Adam Matthews of the Church of England Pensions Board noted that a green transition will not be fast unless it’s fair. Phil Bloomer, Executive Director of the Business & Human Resource Centre, drew attention to indigenous communities and the fact that 60% of the future mineral supply is on indigenous lands. He offered solutions in the name of co-rights and co-ownership. Henry Sanderson, author of Volt Rush and Executive Editor Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, asked probing questions as he moderated the excellent discussion.
The metals seminar was rounded off by the LME’s very own Alice Lim, Head of Corporate Sustainability and Nicole Hanson, Head of Responsible Business. They delivered a session on how metals can be the superheroes of the green transition while aiming for sustainability themselves.
On the theme of a sustainable future, Matthew Chamberlain, LME Chief Executive, was delighted to announce that the LME has set up a fund to provide two scholarships per year for students at the Camborne School of Mines, to help them on their journey to forging a successful mining career.
The rest of the week was packed with events such as the ICMM’s Responsible Mining Leadership Forum, LME’s roundtable with over 30 individuals from sustainability standards and metals associations, the Responsible Minerals Initiative and Copper Mark Risk Readiness Assessment (RRA) preview event and lots more, all of which had sustainability front and centre.
For a quick summary of the key developments in LME sustainability over the past 12 months, you can download our latest factsheet (PDF).
Market Insight: Introducing the Camborne School of Mines
by Professor Patrick Foster, Head of Camborne School of Mines
Professor Patrick Foster is the Director of Education and Associate Professor in Mine Safety at the Camborne School of Mines where he lectures and undertakes research into the health, safety and working environment aspects of mining and quarrying. His particular research interests are in safety management systems, human factors, risk management, surveying and underground communications. He graduated in Mining Engineering from the University of Nottingham and continued there to undertake a PhD looking into safety risk assessment in the mining industry supported by British Coal. He then joined International Mining Consultants Ltd as a Mine Safety Consultant where he was involved in health and safety management system audits, risk assessment training and research in the UK, India, and South Africa.
As the world transitions to net zero and the demand for critical minerals increases, the importance of mining and geology to the global economy has never had such a crucial role to play. We know that the mining industry supports roughly 45% of the world’s economic activities – if you can't grow it, you have to mine it. Almost everything we use daily is manufactured from the Earth's mineral resources.
Around the world, our growing population and our dependence on technology is driving an increasing demand for metals and minerals. From solar panels to mobile phones, lithium-ion batteries to televisions, key elements of our modern lives rely upon specific natural resources buried deep in the ground. Indeed, we cannot generate the renewable energy we need for a greener future without extracting critical minerals. And with the ever-growing demand, it is more important than ever that we do this sustainably.
Here at the Camborne School of Mines, we have a rich tradition of not only being at the forefront of some of the most innovative and ground-breaking research and skills for the global mining industry, but also leading the way in the quest for sustainable mining practices and the sourcing of the critical minerals required for the transition to net zero.
Since its foundation in 1888, Camborne School of Mines has developed an enviable reputation of producing pioneering research, focusing on the key challenges of resource sustainability, environmental production, and mine health and safety.
We are recognised as having a global impact on the mining and minerals industry by training graduates who are now leading the sector in new and exciting ways. We have also built close relationships with local, national, and international business, helping to promote advances in sustainable mining, geological exploration and renewable energy.
Our researchers are working with industry to pioneer sustainable mining techniques and processes to ensure these essential minerals are extracted with the least environmental impact. Many of these partnerships and innovations are happening right here in Cornwall in industries such as lithium and tin mining. Our researchers are working with businesses here today on initiatives that not only deliver economic benefits to the local region but could also help the UK become more self-sufficient in mineral extraction and processing. Crucially, we are also playing a vital role in the creation of the UK’s first Critical Minerals Strategy which aims to secure the Country’s supply chain of critical minerals.
But we know, of course, that there is still so much more that we can, and will, achieve. And a significant part of our role in shaping the future of the mining industry, and our part in moving to Net Zero, is encouraging, nurturing, and supporting future generations of mining experts.
That is why the announcement of our new scholarship scheme, made possible after receiving significant and generous support from the London Metal Exchange (LME), is so important. The new scholarships will provide an incredible opportunity to support our students on their journey to forging a successful mining career.
These scholarships will allow successful candidates to have the fantastic opportunity to receive mentoring support from LME staff, as well as being given the chance to work with LME colleagues on their dissertation project, which forms a significant part of their degree.
This is a hugely important new stage of the partnership between LME and the Camborne School of Mines, not only helping us to attract and support the most talented and committed students to study at the post-graduate level, but also provide a special platform with LME to develop their skills and advance into the workplace.
CSM has a proud history, but also have an even more exciting future. We take great pride in developing solutions to global challenges, building on what we have already achieved and will achieve in the decades to come. And while we shouldn’t and won’t lose sight of the traditions behind the mining industry, in Cornwall and across the world, we know we must also act as a catalyst for change. By being an integral part of the mining industry’s future, we can help ensure there is a greener, more sustainable future for us all.
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