Mining Standards Accountability Alliance Launches Public Campaign Exposing the Dangers of the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative
WASHINGTON — A global network of civil society organizations, Indigenous-led groups, and human rights experts today launched the Mining Standards Accountability Alliance, a coalition formed to challenge the mining industry’s attempt to write weak voluntary standards that will allow the industry to greenwash its image.
The newly formed coalition launched in response to the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI), a proposed mining-industry-led voluntary certification platform that risks endorsing mines as “responsible” that, in practice, harm communities, ecosystems, and Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
The Alliance envisions a world where Indigenous Peoples’ rights, sovereignty, and governance are respected in law and practice; where communities and workers exercise real power over decisions that affect their environment, health, and safety; and where the mining industry is held accountable to the highest standards that protect people and planet—not corporate power and profit.
In November, the CMSI closed its final public consultation on its draft standard. The Alliance’s core concerns with that standard include an inadequate governance and assurance model that would allow the industry to dominate decision-making, and inadequate standards regarding Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
“The harms of the mining industry are well-known, from deadly dam collapses to the killings of land defenders. We don’t want to see multinational corporations continue to throw their weight around to serve their interests at the cost of people and planet.” — Benjamin Hitchcock Auciello, International Mining Standards and Policy Advocate at Earthworks
“The Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative is more than a weakly written standard: it is an industry-led attempt to take advantage of the modern minerals rush to consolidate sectoral power. The industry is pushing this certification scheme while governments in the United States and European Union are relaxing sectoral regulations to capture every tool they can to market products as ‘responsible’ while continuing practices that destroy ecosystems and harm communities. Our Alliance is standing against this industry power grab.” — Chelsea Hodgkins, senior auto supply chain policy advocate, Public Citizen’s Climate Program
“The current draft of the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative is not sufficient to ensure ecosystem protection, addressing deforestation and safeguarding Indigenous Peoples’ rights and communities. Representatives of impacted communities and NGOs are still outnumbered by the industry. Hence, there is a tendency of power imbalance in decision-making that would not favour the impacted parties. This has to change.” — Jasmine Puteri, Rainforest Foundation Norway Senior Advisor
“The Consolidated Mining Standards Initiative (CMSI) in its current state would prioritise corporate image management over people and the environment, enabling greenwashing while local communities continue to bear the brunt of social, environmental, and human costs of mining without meaningful accountability or redress”. — Eric Ngang International Programme Director at Afrewatch
The Alliance is led by AFREWATCH, Batani Foundation, Earthworks, Public Citizen, Quipa, and Rainforest Foundation Norway. Learn more at miningstandardsaccountability.org.
###