The US-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) members and key minerals-rich countries held a vice-Ministerial meeting on February 7, in New York, to discuss priorities, challenges and opportunities in responsible mining, processing and recycling of critical minerals. 

MSP partners participating in the meeting included Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Sweden, the UK, the US and the European Union. Additional countries in attendance included Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. 

MSP partners announced support for several principles for a shared commitment to high environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. The announcement was made at the Investing in African Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town this week. 

These announced principles mark the public commitment to full integration of ESG standards into the MSP’s work, with the goal of achieving an equitable and just energy transition. The MSP will support socially responsible projects that meet recognised international ESG standards.  

Under these basic principles, the MSP will support projects that demonstrate responsible stewardship of the natural environment, and that engage in consultative and participatory processes with regard to land access and acquisition.  

The MSP will support projects that commit to meaningful, ongoing consultation with communities, and that ensure safe, fair, inclusive and ethical conditions in the community and the workplace. The projects receiving support must also provide economic benefit for workers and local communities, while also ensuring transparent and ethical business operations. 

“While critical mineral supply chains must grow rapidly to deploy technologies necessary to meet global climate goals, this growth must not be at the expense of the environment, human health, or human and labour rights. It is imperative that mines, and processing and recycling facilities be developed in a way that protects the environment, promotes good governance and provides economic benefit to local workers and communities,” the MSP said. 

It added that adherence to such principles was necessary to advance a clean energy transition while ensuring that minerals-rich countries and affected communities were able to fully participate in and benefit from this generational opportunity.