ICMM has welcomed Codelco – Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile – as its latest member company. Diego Hernández, President and CEO of Codelco, took part in his first meeting of ICMM’s Council of CEOs in London on Wednesday this week. “We are pleased to have Codelco aboard as an ICMM member,” said Marius Kloppers, CEO of BHP Billiton, who that day took over from Richard Adkerson, CEO of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, as Chair of ICMM. “It signals the company’s commitment to working with their peers to advance the sustainable development performance of the sector in an open and collaborative manner.”As part of its membership Codelco will be required to report publicly against its sustainable development performance on an annual basis. Its membership was approved by an independent expert panel on the understanding that it will be able to fulfil all associated commitments within a two-year period. It is the third company to join ICMM using the new member process launched in May 2010.
Hernández said: “Our company aims to be a leader in the way we care for the environment and neighbouring communities. For Codelco, it is no longer enough to deliver the resources that benefit all Chileans, we must also play an active role in improving international sustainability standards. This is our challenge as we join this prestigious organisation.”
ICMM also welcomed four new associations to its membership: The Ghana Chamber of Mines, International Iron Metallics Association, International Manganese Institute and ITRI (the global association for the tin industry).
“Over the past few years our organisation has grown as leadership companies have embraced the commitments that membership implies” said Anthony Hodge, President of ICMM. “We look forward to working with our members as they continue to pioneer good practices in the industry.”
ICMM members meet three times a year to discuss pressing sustainable development challenges faced by the industry.
AREVA and Hydro were the first two companies to join ICMM through its new member admission process. This was approved by ICMM’s Council of CEOs in May 2010, and makes the process of applying for ICMM membership more rigorous and transparent. Both companies were recommended for membership by an independent expert review panel on the understanding that each company meets the full membership requirements within a two-year time period.
At the time, panel chair Britt Banks, formerly General Counsel of Newmont, said “The panel believes that AREVA and Hydro have much to contribute and will make welcome additions to ICMM. The level of engagement and commitment demonstrated by their respective management teams on the issues of sustainable and responsible mining was impressive.”
“The AREVA group is honoured to join the ICMM and I am personally very pleased to attend the Council’s annual meetings,” said AREVA CEO, Anne Lauvergeon. “It will be for AREVA, a major mining actor, the opportunity to interact with all the member mining companies and improve best practices”.
“Hydro’s mission is to create a more viable society by developing natural resources and products in innovative and efficient ways, which has underpinned our 105-year history,” said Hydro President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg. “Hydro’s recent move into the bauxite mining business in Brazil provides us with new opportunities and challenges. I hope and believe that ICMM will be an excellent platform for sharing and learning about how to deal with these challenges, to ensure that our industry moves ahead in a responsible and sustainable way. I am looking forward to our participating in this important organisation.”
