SQM, the global leader in lithium production in Chile, announced the beginning of a third-party audit of the world’s most rigorous standard for best practices in environmental and social responsibility in industrial-scale mines. This is the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Standard.
According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report published in 2020, IRMA “is the only multi-stakeholder standard for industrial-scale mining focused on mine sites that offers independent external verification and certification, requiring corrective action and continuous improvement,” SQM stated in a press release.
The organization also mentioned that IRMA is the only standard for mine sites with strong criteria linked to labor, fair labor terms, safety, and occupational health. In addition, it requires the participation of the community in all steps of the process, a key point for the company based in the Salar de Atacama.
“This is a fantastic step forward for SQM in our ongoing efforts to lead the industry in terms of sustainability commitments and public disclosure of our ESG objectives,” said Ricardo Ramos, CEO of the Chilean company.
In addition, the executive said: “Our goal is to achieve IRMA Transparency Level IRMA by 2022 and IRMA 50 by 2025. We are firmly optimistic that we will be able to make the necessary changes to meet these carefully considered goals”.
Key Initiative
By initiating a publicly reported independent third-party audit, SQM can participate as a full member in the IRMA program, making it the second lithium mining company and the first mining company in Chile to initiate this type of independent review. Stakeholders can contact the auditors ERM-CVS, an IRMA-approved certification body, directly.
Once the review is completed, an audit report will be shared publicly, providing insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the operation and guiding improvements.
Furthermore, this process will allow SQM to encourage stakeholders to participate in the audit and review the resulting report as the company works to continuously improve
its practices in the months and years to come.
Such membership is part of SQM’s established processes to work towards a higher standard of transparency and public accountability in its corporate objectives on environmental issues, sustainable operations and social responsibility.
The IRMA standard was developed in 2006 following consultation with 100 stakeholders, and is applicable to all sizes of industrial mines globally. More information on governance, applications in the standards and the audit process can be found at www.responsiblemining.net.
“This is an exciting time for SQM as we continue to explore innovative ways to make our lithium production increasingly environmentally friendly, while listening to and supporting our local communities”
Ricardo Ramos, CEO of SQM
