CMSI PARTNERS ANNOUNCE THE FINAL PUBLIC CONSULTATION FOR THE CONSOLIDATED MINING STANDARD TO START ON 8 OCTOBER 2025

Stakeholders and rights-holders are encouraged to submit feedback, and help shape the future of mining

LONDON, Oct. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Partners of the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) – The Copper Mark, ICMM, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) and the World Gold Council (WGC) – are pleased to announce the final public consultation for the Consolidated Standard, Assurance Process and Claims Policy will run from 8 October to 17 November 2025.

The Consolidated Standard combines the best of four existing standards into one comprehensive and practical standard supported by a robust Assurance Process and Claims Policy, reducing complexity in the standards landscape and increasing adoption among companies seeking to follow a credible global benchmark. 

 The final public consultation for the Consolidated Standard, Assurance Process and Claims Policy will enable all interested stakeholders and rights-holders operating in the mining industry and value chain, and all those affected by mining activities, to review and provide feedback before the documents are finalised.

The Partners will undertake engagement activities during the final public consultation, including virtual public webinars across different time zones; direct briefings to a wide range of stakeholders and rights-holders, including CSOs, government representatives and policymakers; and dedicated engagements with Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Peoples' organisations. 

Through this extensive engagement and consultation process, stakeholders, and rights-holders from around the world are invited to collaborate in shaping a Standard that will help drive positive outcomes for both people and the environment along individual metals' value chains – from mining to smelting, refining and beyond. Stakeholders are encouraged to 'have their say' and help shape the future of mining.

Access the consultation portal and documents

The public consultation process is guided by ISEAL's Code of Good Practice to ensure transparency, inclusiveness and legitimacy. 

The CMSI public consultation portal, which is independently hosted and accessible on the CMSI website, provides stakeholders and rights-holders with an accessible means to provide feedback on the Consolidated Standard, the Assurance Process and Claims Policy: https://feedback.miningstandardinitiative.org.

The revised Consolidated Standard, Assurance Process and Claims Policy are available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Brazilian Portuguese and may be accessed here: https://miningstandardinitiative.org/final-public-consultation/.

For additional clarity and transparency, reports detailing the response to feedback received through the first consultation on the Consolidated Standard, Assurance Process and Claims Policy have also been made available: https://miningstandardinitiative.org/consultation/.

The final public consultation follows the first public consultation, between 16 October and 16 December 2024, which received substantial and detailed feedback from 192 stakeholders in 25 countries, with almost 4,700 individual comments submitted. 

Following the finalisation of the Governance Model, the Copper Mark Board is evolving. The evolved Board, which will have multi-stakeholder participation, will have meaningful input into the finalisation of the Consolidated Standard, Assurance Process and Claims Policy and will be solely responsible for their approval. We expect to have the Independent Chair and members of the independent Board appointed, and the final Consolidated Standard launched in the first half of 2026.

To stay informed, visit our website and/or subscribe to our newsletter. 

ABOUT THE CONSOLIDATED MINING STANDARD INITIATIVE 

The Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) is a collaboration between The Copper Mark, ICMM, Mining Association of Canada (MAC) and World Gold Council (WGC) to consolidate their four different responsible mining standards into one global Standard and Independent Board with multi-stakeholder participation. The vision is for a sustainable society, enabled by the responsible production, sourcing, and recycling of metals and minerals. Through this Initiative, we are aiming to simplify the current mining standards landscape and promote continual improvement of environmental, social and governance practices along individual metals' value chains. 

 ABOUT THE FOUR PARTNER ORGANISATIONS 

ICMM 

ICMM stands for mining with principles. It brings together a third of the global metals and mining industry, along with key partners, to drive leadership, action, and innovation for sustainable development, delivering a positive contribution to society. Through collaboration, ICMM member companies set the standard for responsibly produced minerals and metals in a safe, just, and sustainable world. 

Mining Association of Canada 

The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) is the national organisation for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada's production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal, and mined oil sands, and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. MAC members are required to implement the association's Towards Sustainable Mining initiative, a performance-based standard with independent assurance overseen by national independent multi-stakeholder panel. TSM has been adopted by 13 other national mining associations around the world.

The Copper Mark  

The Copper Mark is the leading independent assurance framework that promotes responsible practices in the copper, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc industries, focusing on environmental protection, social responsibility, and corporate governance. The Copper Mark uses a rigorous site-level assessment process to independently verify whether individual sites have responsible production practices. Currently, 40% of globally mined copper is currently produced by Copper Mark-assured sites. 

World Gold Council 

World Gold Council (WGC) is a membership organisation that champions the role gold plays as a strategic asset, shaping the future of a responsible and accessible gold supply chain. Their team of experts builds understanding of the use case and possibilities of gold through research, analysis, commentary, and insights. They drive industry progress, shaping policy and setting the standards for a perpetual and sustainable gold market. 

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