Primer: Towards Sustainable Mining

Towards Sustainable Mining or TSM is an award-winning performance system that helps mining companies evaluate and manage their environmental and social responsibilities. It is a set of tools and indicators to drive performance and ensure that key mining risks are managed responsibly at participating mining and metallurgical facilities. Established in 2004 by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), TSM’s main objective is to enable mining companies to meet society’s needs for minerals, metals and energy products in the most socially, economically and environmentally responsible way.

In December 2017, the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) signed a Mutual Cooperation and Licensing Agreement with the MAC for the adoption of the TSM program. The COMP has made it mandatory for all its member companies to participate in TSM. This involves subscribing to the TSM Guiding Principles, which are backed by specific performance indicators that member companies publicly report on annually in TSM Progress Reports.

 

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By adhering to the TSM Guiding Principles, mining companies exhibit leadership by:

  • Engaging with communities
  • Driving world-leading environmental practices
  • Committing to the safety and health of employees and surrounding communities

At its core, TSM is:

Accountable:

Assessments are conducted at the facility level where the mining activity takes place – the only program in the world to do this in our sector. The results provide stakeholders with a meaningful view of how a mine is faring.

Transparent:

Mining companies publicly report their facilities’ performance against a suite of indicators in the annual TSM Progress Report. Results are externally verified every three years.

Credible:

TSM is overseen by an independent Community of Interest (COI) Advisory Panel. This multi- interest group helps improve the industry’s performance and shape the TSM initiative for continual improvement.

Apart from Canada and the Philippines, other jurisdictions that have adopted TSM are Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Finland, Guatemala, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Quebec, and Spain.

TSM Guiding Principles

As members of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, our role is to responsibly meet society’s needs for minerals and metals. To achieve this, we engage in the exploration, discovery, development, production and distribution of these products. We believe that our opportunities to contribute to and thrive in the economies in which we operate must be earned through a demonstrated commitment to sustainable development.

Accordingly, our actions must demonstrate a responsible approach to social, economic and environmental performance that is aligned with the evolving priorities of our stakeholders. Our actions must reflect a broad spectrum of values that we share with our employees and neighboring communities, including honesty, transparency and integrity. And they must underscore our ongoing efforts to protect our employees, communities, customers and the natural environment.

  • Proactively seeking, engaging and supporting dialogue with our host communities regarding our operations.
  • Fostering leadership throughout our companies to achieve sustainable resource stewardship wherever we operate.
  • Conducting all facets of our business with excellence, transparency and accountability.
  • Protecting the health and safety of our employees, contractors and communities.
  • Practicing continuous improvement through the application of new technology, innovation and best practices in all facets of our operations.
  • Respect human rights and treat those with whom we deal fairly and with dignity.
  • Respect the cultures, customs and values of people with whom our operations interact.
  • Recognize and respect the unique role, contribution and concerns of Indigenous Peoples.
  • Obtain and maintain business through ethical conduct.
  • Comply with all laws and regulations and apply the standards reflecting our adherence to TSM Guiding Principles and best international practices.
  • Support the capability of communities to participate in opportunities provided by new mining projects and existing operations
  • Be responsive to community priorities, needs and interests through all stages of mining exploration, development, operations and closure.
  • Provide lasting benefits to local communities through self- sustaining programs to enhance the economic, environmental, social, educational and health care standards they enjoy.