Norway adopts Canada’s initiative for sustainable mining

Norsk Bergindustri (Norwegian Mineral Industry), the national mining association in Norway, announced on Monday that it will adopt the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative, a corporate social responsibility program developed by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) to improve environmental and social practices in the mining industry.

TSM requires mining companies to annually assess their facilities’ performance across eight areas, including energy use and greenhouse gas emissions management, Indigenous and community outreach, safety and health, and biodiversity conservation.

Norsk Bergindustri joins seven other mining associations around the world, including the third in Europe and the second in Scandinavia after FinnMin, in adopting TSM.

“For a long time, our industry has seen the need for good tools and methods for measuring environmental performance. We are very pleased that the Norwegian mineral industry is taking decisive steps to measure its environmental performance,” Anita Hall, secretary-general of the Norwegian mining industry said in an emailed statement.

MAC and its members launched TSM in 2004 to enable mining companies to meet society’s needs for minerals, metals and energy products in the most socially, economically and environmentally responsible way.

Implementation of the program is mandatory for all MAC members’ Canadian operations, but many voluntarily apply it to their international sites.

“Exporting Canada’s expertise in environmental and social stewardship is one important way that we can contribute to responsible mining practices around the world,” Pierre Gratton, MAC’s president added.