Public Citizen Thwarts Industry Greenwashing at a Mining Industry Gala, Sounding the Alarm over Mining Industry
LONDON — Public Citizen thwarted industry greenwashing at a mining industry gala to raise concerns over the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative, a scheme to greenwash the mining industry last week as part of London Climate Action Week.
The action included a projection on the entrance of the gala. The window for comments on the second round draft of the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative closed November 17th. The second draft of the standard made scant improvements and remains weak on key areas including multistakeholder governance, independent assurance, and Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Public Citizen’s comments on the second draft can be found here.
Mining companies have an extensive track record of environmental damage, human rights abuses, violence and corruption. In an attempt to greenwash these practices to consumers, governments, and investors, the mining industry is trying to create a new set of voluntary rules, written by the very industry insiders who have spent decades polluting around the globe, called the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative. If successful, hundreds of mining companies around the world will be able to “certify” their projects as responsible without meaningfully addressing environmental harms and human rights abuses.
In response, Chelsea Hodgkins senior EV supply chain policy advocate with Public Citizen’s Climate Program said:
“The second draft of the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative continues to be a dangerous tool for greenwashing. We thwarted industry greenwashing at the industry’s dinner, where it applauded itself for its so-called excellence and achievements, to make the truth clear: this standard will increase the financial, reputational, and operational risks for investors, government, and downstream buyers around the world while continuing to harm communities and workers. Every stakeholder faces increased risks under weak voluntary standards like the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative and must come together to demand more robust and equitable voluntary schemes.”
Video of the event can be found here.
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