ITRI and member companies have developed a new industry Code of Conduct specifically designed for global tin mining and smelting operations and addressing the growing expectations of tin users and consumers. Now we are pleased to announce that our members, as leaders in the tin production sector, will begin voluntary reporting against these industry standards in Q3 of 2017.
The ITRI Code of Conduct has 10 Principles addressing basic expectations of legal compliance and publication of policy statements, through consideration of areas of widespread interest such as improvements in environmental performance, health and safety, and protection of human rights, to growing issues around positively impacting upstream suppliers of minerals and responsible metal production. These Principles are supported with more than 70 Standards, some of which are more relevant for mining operations, with others most relevant to smelters or secondary recycling companies.
A range of Indicators are designed to allow for reporting of progressive improvement, with third-party verification the ultimate desired goal. This approach has been adopted to provide an opportunity to engage and encourage positive change among all operators, including the many small scale and artisanal miners whose livelihoods depend on the mineral sector and who make an important contribution to tin supply.
At the most recent ITRI Board meeting participation in the Code was unanimously adopted as a requirement of ITRI membership and all members now expect to produce initial reports in mid-2017. Some reporting will be incorporated into existing company publications while other information will be provided separately to the public and customers.
All ITRI members listed below will be reporting between July and September 2017 depending on existing company reporting schedules:
• Bluestone Mines Tasmania JV Pty, Australia
• Fenix Metals, Poland
• Malaysia Smelting Corporation Bhd, Malaysia
• Metallo-Chimique N.V., Belgium
• Mineração Taboca S/A, Brazil
• Minsur S.A., Peru
• Operaciones Metalúrgicas SA (OMSA), Bolivia
• PT TIMAH (Persero) Tbk,, Indonesia
• Rahman Hydraulic Tin Sdn Bhd, Malaysia
• Thailand Smelting & Refining Company Limited, Thailand
• Yunnan Tin Group (Holding) Company Limited, China
“ITRI is pleased to support forward looking companies in the tin industry who continue to proactively and voluntarily take steps towards a more responsible, tin supply chain” commented Kay Nimmo, ITRI Manager of Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs “ITRI and our members have led positive action and solutions to conflict related issues in central Africa and we are happy to be building on what we have learnt about supply chains on a more global basis and across a more extensive range of topics.”
The Code standards have been discussed with key stakeholders and a wider consultation is envisaged as the pilot reporting process is rolled out. Detailed discussion and potential projects to support the Code are included in the scope of the recently launched ITRI Responsible Tin Supply (RTS) group. Membership of this group is open for tin producers, traders and users to become engaged in the debate around responsible sourcing and align their activities with responsible producers, including participation in projects with direct positive impact.
The ITRI Code is also designed to be appropriate to mineral and metal traders who are welcome to participate, particularly in light of the upcoming EU Regulation on supply chain due diligence obligations for importers of tin ores, metal and alloys.
