The Cadia mine, in New South Wales, Australia, has become the first Newmont site globally to receive The Copper Mark, the NYSE-, TSX- and ASX-listed mining group has reported.

Cadia is the nation’s second biggest copper producer and the third site in Australia to receive The Copper Mark, which assesses 30 criteria in critical areas including environment, community, human rights and governance, among others.

Cadia is also the only operating mine producing molybdenum in Australia, and thus the only mine to also receive The Molybdenum Mark. Molybdenum is a critical mineral used in industry and defence.

“Meeting growing global demand for copper brings an obligation to sustainability and responsible mining which prioritises environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic development for the communities in which we operate,” commented Newmont chief safety and sustainability officer Suzy Retallack.

“We take great pride in being at the forefront of the copper industry with The Copper Mark, which highlights our dedication to responsible production and transparency,” she said.

“This means our global customers can now choose to source copper concentrate from an independently evaluated mine that meets the highest standards in environmental, social and governance practices, responding to the increasing demand for sustainable supply chains.”

In 2020, Cadia entered into a 15-year renewable power purchase agreement with Tilt Renewables Limited to buy 55% of the wind farm’s output. Now fully operational, Rye Park is supplying about half of Cadia’s power needs.

“Cadia’s commitment to the community supported an investment of almost A$6-million in the 18 months to December 2023 to support community projects, education and infrastructure,” Retallack said.

The Copper Mark executive director Michèle Brülhart congratulated the Cadia team for being the third site in Australia to achieve verification.

With this, about 35% of Australia’s copper is produced at sites that have obtained The Copper Mark.

The Copper Mark is the leading assurance framework to promote responsible, sustainable and ethical practices across the copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc value chains.