Our Principles

IMCL company members commit to integrate sustainable development in corporate strategy and decision-making processes.

IMCL members integrate socially and environmentally positive principles into their internal decision-making processes to enhance mining’s contribution to society. They also support their business partners to adopt responsible business practices.

Performance Expectations

IMCL's Mining Principles include two Performance Expectations under Principle 2: Decision-Making.

2.1 – Integrate Sustainability into Decision-Making

Integrate sustainable development principles into corporate strategy and decision-making processes relating to investments and in the design, operation and closure of facilities.

2.2 – Support Responsible Business Partners

Support the adoption of responsible physical and psychological health and safety, environmental, human rights and labour policies and practices by joint venture partners, suppliers and contractors, based on risk.

IMCL company members commit to respect human rights and the interests, cultures, customs and values of workers and communities affected by our activities.

IMCL members undertake to uphold the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and to cooperate in processes that remedy adverse impacts on the rights of employees and local communities.

Performance Expectations

IMCL's Mining Principles include nine Performance Expectations under Principle 3: Human Rights.

3.1 – Respect Human Rights

Support the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by developing a policy commitment to respect human rights, undertaking human rights due diligence and providing for, or cooperating in processes to enable the remediation of adverse human rights impacts that members have caused or contributed to.

3.2 – Avoid Involuntary Resettlement

Avoid the involuntary physical or economic displacement of families and communities. Where this is not possible apply the mitigation hierarchy and implement actions or remedies that address residual adverse effects to restore or improve livelihoods and standards of living of displaced people.

3.3 – Manage Security While Protecting Human Rights

Implement, based on risk, a human rights and security approach consistent with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.

3.4 – Respect the Rights of Workers

Respect the rights of workers by: not employing child or forced labour; avoiding human trafficking; not assigning hazardous/ dangerous work to those under 18; eliminating all forms of harassment and discrimination; respecting freedom of association and collective bargaining; and providing an appropriate mechanism to address workers grievances.

3.5 – Provide Fair Pay and Working Hours

Equitably remunerate employees with wages that equal or exceed legal requirements or represent a competitive wage within that job market (whichever is higher) and assign regular and overtime working hours within legally required limits.

3.6 – Respect Indigenous Peoples' Rights

Respect the rights, interests, aspirations, culture, Indigenous knowledge and natural resource-based livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples in project design, development and operation; carry out due diligence to address potential adverse impacts; and share benefits in a manner that is aligned with Indigenous Peoples’ aspirations for social and economic development.

3.7 – Obtain agreement with affected Indigenous Peoples

Obtain agreement with affected Indigenous Peoples demonstrating their consent to anticipated impacts to their land or other rights, and setting out the terms by which impacts may occur and be managed. Where potential impacts include the relocation of Indigenous Peoples from their lands or territories, or significant impacts to their critical cultural heritage, companies will explore feasible alternatives to project design in order to avoid such impacts. If relocation and/or significant impacts on critical cultural heritage are unavoidable, companies will obtain agreement demonstrating the consent of affected Indigenous Peoples in accordance with IMCL’s Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement. In any instance where agreement is not obtained, IMCL members will develop a policy or approach outlining the steps they have taken to fulfil the commitments set out in the position statement.

3.8 – Promote Workplace Diversity

Implement policies and practices to respect the rights and interests of women that reflect gender-informed approaches to work practices and job design, and that protect against all forms of discrimination and harassment, and behaviors that adversely impact on women’s successful participation in the workplace.

3.9 – Promote an Inclusive Workplace

Implement policies and practices to respect the rights and interests of all workers and improve workforce representation in the workplace so it is more inclusive.

IMCL company members commit to implement effective risk-management strategies and systems based on sound science, and which account for stakeholder perceptions of risk. These covers issues such as air, water, biodiversity, noise and vibration, health, safety, human rights, gender, cultural heritage and economic issues. The consultation process should be gender sensitive and inclusive of marginalized and vulnerable groups.

IMCL members work to prevent or mitigate the potential impact of mining on the wellbeing of society and the environment. This includes assessing the risk and opportunities of new projects (or expansions), undertaking due diligence in conflict-affected areas and implementing risk-based controls to address impacts.

Performance Expectations

IMCL's Mining Principles include four Performance Expectations under Principle 4: Risk Management.

4.1 – Assess Environmental and Social Risks

Assess environmental and social risks and opportunities of new projects and of significant changes to existing operations in consultation with interested and affected stakeholders, and publicly disclose assessment results.

4.2 – Apply Due-Diligence in Conflict-Affected or High-Risk Areas

Undertake risk-based due diligence on conflict and human rights that aligns with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance on Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, when operating in, or sourcing from, a conflict-affected or high-risk area. Although Tanzania is not an OECD-member, the OECD’s international tax rules have an effect on Tanzania and other non-members. Opportunities exist for Tanzania and other African countries to reform these rules to their benefit provided that they improve coordination amongst themselves.

4.3 – Systematically Manage Health, Safety and Environmental Risks

Implement risk-based controls to avoid/prevent, minimize, mitigate and/or remedy physical and psychological health, safety and environmental impacts to workers, local communities, cultural heritage and the natural environment, based upon a recognized international standard or management system.

4.4 – Carry Out Emergency Response Planning

Develop, maintain and test emergency response plans. Where risks to external stakeholders are significant, this should be in collaboration with potentially affected stakeholders and consistent with established industry good practice.

IMCL company members commit to pursue continual improvement in physical and psychological health and safety performance with the ultimate goal of zero harm.

Responsible mining companies have an unwavering commitment to the health and safety of workers and their families, local communities and wider society. IMCL members adopt workplace practices and critical controls to prevent fatalities, minimize injuries and eliminate occupational diseases, towards a goal of zero harm. We care about aspects of work which have the potential to cause psychological or physical harm including bullying, mental stress, workplace violence.

Performance Expectations

IMCL's Mining Principles include two Performance Expectations under Principle 5: Health and Safety.

5.1 – Continually Improve Health and Safety

Implement practices aimed at continually improving workplace physical and psychological health and safety, and monitor performance for the elimination of workplace fatalities, serious injuries, psychosocial hazards and prevention of occupational diseases, based upon a recognized international standard or management system.

5.2 – Provide Health and Safety Training

Provide workers with training in accordance with their responsibilities for physical and psychological health and safety and implement health surveillance and risk-based monitoring programmes based on occupational exposures.

IMCL company members commit to pursue continual improvement in environmental performance issues, such as water stewardship, energy use and climate change.

Industry has a responsibility to be proactive in contributing practical solutions to the significant environmental challenges facing society. IMCL members adopt practices and approaches that support continuous improvement in environmental performance to manage the adverse impacts of operations and deliver sustainable benefits for people and the planet.

Performance Expectations

IMCL's Mining Principles include five Performance Expectations under Principle 6: Environmental Performance.

6.1 – Plan for Closure

Plan and design for closure in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders, implement measures to address closure-related environmental and social aspects, and make financial provision to enable agreed closure and post-closure commitments to be realized.

6.2 – Implement Water Stewardship Practices

Implement water stewardship practices that provide for strong and transparent water governance, effective and efficient management of water at operations, and collaboration with stakeholders at a catchment level to achieve responsible and sustainable water use.

6.3 – Effectively Manage Tailings

Design, construct, operate, monitor and decommission tailings disposal/storage facilities using comprehensive, risk-based management and governance practices in line with internationally recognized good practice, to minimize the risk of catastrophic failure.

6.4 – Prevent Pollution and Manage Releases and Waste

Apply the mitigation hierarchy to prevent pollution, manage releases and waste, and address potential impacts on human health and the environment.

6.5 – Improve Energy Efficiency and Reduce GHG Emissions

Implement measures to improve energy efficiency and contribute to a low-carbon future, and report the outcomes based on internationally recognized protocols for measuring CO2 equivalent (GHG) emissions.

IMCL company members commit to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and integrated approaches to land-use planning.

Healthy ecosystems are essential for the health and wellbeing of all life on Earth, but they are deteriorating more rapidly than ever. IMCL members respect legally protected areas. They work to address impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services caused by operations through the application of the mitigation hierarchy, and work towards the ambition of no net loss of biodiversity. This means that the impacts of operations on biodiversity are balanced by measures taken to avoid and minimize the impacts, to restore affected areas, and to offset the impacts so that no loss remains. The ambition of no net loss applies to new projects and major expansions to existing projects that impact biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Performance Expectations

IMCL's Mining Principles include two Performance Expectations under Principle 7: Conservation of Biodiversity.

7.1 – Avoid World Heritage Sites and Respect Legally Designated Protected Areas

Neither explore nor develop new mines in World Heritage Sites, respect legally designated protected areas, and design and operate any new operations or changes to existing operations to be compatible with the value for which such areas were designated.

7.2 – Apply Mitigation Hierarchy with Ambition of No-Net-Loss

Assess and address risks and impacts to biodiversity and ecosystem services by implementing the mitigation hierarchy, with the ambition of achieving no-net-loss of biodiversity.

IMCL's Mining Principles include two Performance Expectations under Principle 8: Responsible Production.

8.1 – Recover, Re-Use and Recycle

In project design, operation and de-commissioning, implement cost-effective measures for the recovery, re-use or recycling of energy, natural resources and materials.

8.2 – Assess Product Hazards

Assess the hazards of the products of mining according to UN Globally Harmonised System of Hazard Classification and Labelling or equivalent relevant regulatory systems and communicate through safety data sheets and labelling as appropriate.

IMCL's Mining Principles include four Performance Expectations under Principle 9: Social Performance.

9.1 – Contribute to Community Development

Implement inclusive approaches with local communities to identify their development priorities and support activities that contribute to their lasting social and economic wellbeing, in partnership with government, civil society and development agencies, as appropriate.

9.2 – Support Local Economic Opportunities

Enable access by local enterprises to procurement and contracting opportunities across the project life-cycle, both directly and by encouraging larger contractors and suppliers, and also by supporting initiatives to enhance economic opportunities for local communities.

9.3 – Conduct Local Stakeholder Engagement

Conduct stakeholder engagement based upon an analysis of the local context and provide local stakeholders with access to appropriate and effective mechanisms for seeking resolution of grievances related to the company and its activities.

9.4 – Collaborate on Artisanal Mining Challenges

Collaborate with government, where appropriate, to support improvements in environmental and social practices of local artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM).

IMCL company members commit to proactively engage key stakeholders on sustainable development challenges and opportunities in an open and transparent manner, effectively report and independently verify progress and performance.

To promote sustainable benefits from mining and metals, it is imperative that the industry engages and cooperates with key stakeholders in an open, honest and transparent manner. IMCL members report annually on their sustainable development performance. They use leading reporting standards to promote open and accountable engagement with stakeholders on their sustainability performance.

Performance Expectations

IMCL's Mining Principles include four Performance Expectations under Principle 10: Stakeholder Engagement.

10.1 – Engage Corporate Stakeholders Transparently

Identify and engage with key corporate-level external stakeholders on sustainable development issues in an open and transparent manner.

10.2 – Support EITI

Publicly support the implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and compile information on all material payments, at the appropriate levels of government, by country and by project.Tanzania Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (TEITI) is the Tanzania Chapter of the global Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) that set standards of transparency and accountability in Extractive Industry (EI). Extractive Industry (EI) companies are those companies engaging in the extraction of minerals, oil and gas.

10.3 – Report Annually to GRI

Report annually on economic, social and environmental performance at the corporate level using the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards.

10.4 – Conduct Assurance and Validation

Each year, conduct independent assurance of sustainability performance following the IMCL guidance on assuring and verifying membership requirements.