The new Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) published in August 2020 is a governance standard that adds to, rather than replaces, existing technical tailings management standards. Broad-based uptake of the GISTM across the global mining industry is expected.
The GISTM was developed by international experts using a multi-stakeholder approach. Its development was supported by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) partnered with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). To facilitate the implementation of the GISTM, ICMM published Conformance Protocols for the GISTM and a Tailings Management Good Practice Guide in May 2021. The two recent documents were presented in a webinar on 6th May 2021 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsJ3zK0dd7M)
The Good Practice Guide focuses on good engineering practice, including good governance, that will support continual improvement in the management of tailings facilities and strengthen a ‘corporate safety culture’. It sits under the GISTM and is complementary to jurisdictional legal requirements and technical standards, such as the standards of International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD), the Canadian Dam Association (CDA); and South African National Committee on Large Dams (SANCOLD).
The Good Practice Guide was developed with input from the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), thus promoting alignment of the ICMM guide with MAC tailings guidance documents, and Professor Morgenstern, a world leading expert on tailings management.
The Conformance Protocols for the GISTM intend to help operators and independent third parties assess conformance with, and implementation of, the GISTM’s 77 requirements using 219 criteria.
ICMM members have committed to conformance with the GISTM, specifically that facilities with ‘Extreme’ or ‘Very high’ potential consequences will be in conformance by August 2023 and all other facilities by August 2025.
Mining companies that are not members of ICMM are also likely to align their tailings management practices with this standard for many reasons. The obvious driver is corporate responsibility, other drivers are investor pressure and expectations of downstream manufacturers.
Investor interest in TSF management was reflected in the Investor Mining & Tailings Safety Initiative that was established in response to the Brumadinho TSF failure in Brazil. This initiative linked up many institutional investors active in extractive industries, including the Church of England Pensions Board which chaired the steering committee. The initiative called for further action which led to the Global Tailings Review and the subsequent development of the GISTM. The GISTM is backed by the PRI, which currently has over 3,000 signatories comprised of asset owners and investment managers and service providers.
Downstream manufacturers’ ESG expectations of mining companies are reflected in responsible sourcing standards, which include the ICMM Principles, the CopperMark, the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative and the Responsible Gold Mining Principles. These standards all require that tailings management lines up with widely supported good practice guidelines.
Both of the recently released documents supporting the GISTM will form important sources of reference when undertaking audits for compliance with the GISTM. Importantly, the Conformance Protocols notes that a multidisciplinary team is needed to provide the experience, skills and knowledge to adequately assess conformance with the Standard.
As detailed in Table 3 of the Conformance Protocols, the skillset of the multi-disciplinary GISTM audit team will require expertise in all of the following areas; geography and climate; lifecycle specifically including closure; risk / emergency management; tailings engineering (including geotechnical, hydrotechnical, civil and mining engineering); environmental management; socio-economics and communities; and, water.
These skills are well aligned with the technical expertise provided across disciplines by SRK. Our Clients recognise that views of Third Parties are valuable, even when also undertaking self-assessment. We are already providing services to Clients around these matters and enquiries are increasing.
