Global mining and metals companies have made a landmark commitment at the World Economic Forum in Davos to support a nature-positive future by 2030. This initiative focuses on enhancing the health, diversity, and resilience of species, ecosystems, and natural processes.
The International Council of Metals and Minerals (ICMM), representing a third of the global mining industry, has pledged that extracting critical materials will not compromise nature. South Africa-linked member companies, including African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo-American, Glencore, and others, are part of this commitment.
According to a report by Mining Weekly, ICMM’s new commitments are centered around a five-point plan for nature. These include protecting pristine natural environments, halting biodiversity loss at operations, collaborating across value chains, restoring and enhancing landscapes, and catalysing wider systemic changes. These commitments extend across land, freshwater, oceans, and the atmosphere, encompassing companies’ direct operations, supply and distribution chains, and broader environmental impacts.
Rohitesh Dhawan, ICMM president and CEO, emphasized the mining industry’s dependence on nature. He stated, “We have committed to significant collective action to help create a nature-positive future.” These commitments build on decades of individual efforts by ICMM members in areas like habitat conservation and landscape restoration.
Dhawan highlighted the importance of ensuring no net loss of biodiversity at mine sites by closure, against a 2020 baseline. Additionally, he emphasized the role of Indigenous and land-connected peoples and local communities, whose rights and knowledge are crucial to these actions.
ICMM members have already initiated several projects, such as enhancing biodiversity protection, developing technologies for landscape revegetation, and protecting habitats from invasive species. The new commitments aim to elevate these efforts and drive industry-wide performance.
Jonathan Price, Nature Advisory Group chairperson and CEO of Teck Resources, underlined the necessity of cross-sector collaboration to reverse nature loss and restore landscapes. Teck’s approach includes conserving and reclaiming three hectares for every one hectare affected by mining.
Marco Lambertini, Nature Positive Initiative Convenor, stressed the importance of sector-wide coordination in reversing biodiversity loss. He spoke of the need to safeguard high-biodiversity areas and contribute to measurable improvements in ecosystems through mining operations.
