On June 13, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) Board of Directors unanimously passed a motion to grant the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) Community of Interest (COI) Panel decision-making authority over the TSM program. This means that the globally recognized environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program will now be governed jointly by the MAC Board and the independent TSM COI Panel. 

“Since its inception in 2004, the TSM COI Panel has provided invaluable advice on issues ranging from climate change, biodiversity, Indigenous relationships, and so much more,” said Carolyn Chisolm, MAC Chair. “The MAC Board has valued this input immeasurably and the many panel members who have served over the years have shaped TSM in fundamental ways and made the Canadian mining sector better for it. Today, there is a clear expectation in the standards space that governance be shared formally. Giving the Panel an equal decision-making role in partnership with the MAC board sends a clear message about the importance of equal multi-stakeholder governance in sustainability standards like TSM.” 

TSM is a mandatory component of MAC membership and aims to drive performance improvement across a range of social and environmental issues where it matters most – at the mine-site level. This focus on mine-site performance makes TSM a go-to system for investors and manufacturers looking to invest in responsibly mined materials. 

The TSM program is overseen by the national independent COI Panel, which includes representatives from Indigenous communities, environmental organizations, labour, finance, local mining communities, social and faith-based organizations, and academia. Since the June announcement, the COI Panel has also taken on responsibility for its own nomination process to appoint new members. The Panel’s revised Terms of Reference also stipulate that decisions can proceed if all Indigenous representatives on the Panel are opposed, which reflects the fundamental relationship that exists in Canada between the mining sector and Indigenous peoples.

TSM performance is evaluated across a set of detailed environmental and social performance standards, including tailings management, climate change, water stewardship, Indigenous and community relationships, safety and health, biodiversity conservation, equity, diversity, and inclusion, crisis management and preventing child and forced labour, all of which have been developed in partnership with the COI Panel. TSM includes an independent assurance process that companies must undergo every three years to provide accountability, transparency, and credibility for its users. 

“Having served on the COI Panel for many years representing the Métis Nation, I’ve seen TSM drive significant change in the mining sector,” said Dan Benoit, long-time COI Panel member. “With this change to TSM’s governance, we will now be making decisions in true partnership with the industry. I’d like to congratulate MAC on taking this step to give up control and commit to meaningful collaboration, especially with Indigenous peoples, as this change means that no decision will be able to move forward without Indigenous support.”

The Community of Interest (COI) Panel is a multi-interest group comprised of about 10 to 15 individuals from Indigenous groups, communities where the industry is active, environmental and social NGOs, labour, financial organizations and, just recently added, customers. Select members of the MAC Board also sit on the Panel, in an ex officio capacity, to provide a mining industry perspective to discussions. The Panel serves as a platform for communities of interest and MAC members to discuss and collaborate on issues of mutual concern. Learn more about the COI Panel and its members at www.mining.ca/towards-sustainable-mining/community-of-interest-advisory-panel.

TSM is a globally recognized sustainability program that supports mining companies in managing key environmental and social risks. TSM was the first responsible mining standard in the world to require site-level assessments with external verification and is mandatory for all companies that are members of implementing associations.
TSM has been adopted by national associations internationally in 11 other countries, each of which is obligated to establish a COI Panel. Learn more about TSM at www.mining.ca/towards-sustainable-mining.