Chilean mining company Codelco will seek certification that copper mining is being carried out in a sustainable manner. It aims to receive the certificate by the end of 2023 at the latest.
The certificate, called the Copper Mark, confirms that the miner that has obtained it is mining copper in an environmentally friendly way. The Copper Mark is based on United Nations standards and is intended to show that mineral extraction can be carried out responsibly.
“Since 2020, 100 percent of our operations have been conducted in accordance with standards that are comparable to the criteria required for the international Copper Mark,” said Renato Fernandez, vice president of Chile’s Codelco, the world’s largest copper miner. “We are therefore confident that obtaining this certification will go smoothly,” he added.
In order for Codelco to be certified, each of its mines must meet 32 criteria against which sustainability is judged. These include an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions, health safety, gender equality or human rights, among others. If Codelco receives the Copper Mark, it will have to undergo recertification after three years.
