11 March 2022

ICMM releases new tools to improve mining industry’s social performance

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has published a set of practical tools to strengthen approaches to managing social performance within mining companies, to support more harmonious company-community relationships and enable positive socio-economic outcomes.

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Social performance is the outcome of a company’s engagement, activities and commitments that directly and indirectly impact stakeholders, particularly the local communities that live close to mining operations. Good social performance requires companies to have robust management approaches and systems in place that avoid harm to people and planet, while contributing to social and economic development.  

ICMM’s new tools have been designed to support companies to strengthen these capabilities, to build and maintain positive relationships with local communities and broader society.  

Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO at ICMM, says, 'Mining related activity affects local communities and often takes place on indigenous land. The industry has a critical role to play in creating lasting positive impact for those affected and can only achieve this through consistent approaches to social performance. 

'This isn’t something that our industry has always got right, and we have seen the devastating impact it can have when it goes wrong. Just as financial and environmental risks are integrated across business decision making, these tools support companies to better integrate social risks and impacts to manage their social performance more effectively. ICMM’s social performance tools are available to the entire industry. They will support business leaders and social performance practitioners assess the maturity of social performance in their business, build competency, integrate social performance across the business, and contribute to the organisational culture required to consistently avoid harm and deliver business and societal value.'