SCS Global Services Chosen as Launch Partner for Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Standard
SCS to provide auditing services and guidance for IRMA Standard launch
SCS to provide auditing services and guidance for IRMA Standard launch
Certification under the precedent-setting global program will provide assurance that mined materials used by manufacturers of jewelry, electronics, buildings and automobiles have been sourced responsibly.
“Global interest in the responsible sourcing of metals and minerals is growing in direct relation to consumer demand for sustainable and conscious products. Large brands are increasingly seeking to mitigate risk in their supply chains, and responsible mines will now have a way to demonstrate leadership and differentiate themselves to buyers,” said Neil Mendenhall, SCS Director of Service Development.
IRMA hosts the only multi-stakeholder-developed certification scheme that applies to all types of mined materials (except energy fuels) from industrial-scale mines, and that provides a comprehensive and rigorous measure of social and environmental responsibility at mine sites. The IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining is the result of more than ten years of collaboration between groups from the mining industry, organized labor, non-governmental organizations, impacted communities and businesses.
“The partnership with SCS is a major step forward for the program,” said Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director of the Initiative for responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA). “The company’s rigor, transparency and global credibility makes it the ideal certification body to help IRMA progress toward its vision of more socially and environmentally responsible mining.”
The IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining is available now on the initiative website and will be updated with additional guidance and examples of conformance evidence beginning in June of 2019. The IRMA standard has support from leading companies, such as Anglo American, ArcelorMittal, Microsoft and Tiffany & Co.
About SCS Global Services (SCS) has been a global leader in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing and standards development for nearly thirty years. SCS programs span a wide cross-section of industry sectors, recognizing exemplary performance in natural resource management, green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, retailing and more. SCS is a California Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practice. www.scsglobalservices.com
About Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is a voluntary certification system meant to complement strong laws and government oversight. It is also the world’s first and only global definition of what constitutes leading practices in social and environmental responsibility for large-scale mining operations. IRMA aspires to meet the vision of a world in which the mining industry respects the human rights and aspirations of affected communities; provides safe, healthy, and respectful workplaces; minimizes harm to the environment; and leave positive legacies. https://responsiblemining.net/
