Sector Standard Project for Mining

The importance of this Standard

Mining is a key sector in many economies, making a sizable contribution to production, exports and government revenues. Minerals produced by this sector can also be fundamental for large parts of the economy. Mining also has a high environmental and social impact, often concentrated in and around extraction sites. Mining can require exclusive access to large areas and the influx of large workforces and may operate in regions where there is a higher risk of human rights abuses or effects on indigenous peoples’ rights. 

Read the Project Proposal for more information.

About this project

Mining has been approved by the Global Sustainability Standards Board to be the next sector for which a standard will be developed, as part of priority group one. Sectors are prioritized based on the seriousness and the likelihood of their impacts and consider the overall size of the sector, their distribution around the world, and the number of organizations that are in a position to use the GRI Standards.

The Standard is being developed by a multi-stakeholder expert Working Group, appointed by the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB). See here the biographies of the Working Group members.

For more information about the responsibilities of the Working Group, see the Terms of Reference.

It is proposed that the Sector Standard for Mining will apply to organizations whose primary focus lies on:

  • Exploration and extraction, including quarrying, and primary processing of all types of minerals, metallic and non-metallic, except for oil, gas, and coal. 
  • Support activities for mining, such as transport and storage.
  • Supply of specialized products and services to mining organizations, such as engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors.

 

​Public comment period is now closed

The Mining Sector Standard exposure draft was made available for public comment between 7 February and 30 April 2023.

The submissions to the public consultation can be found here.

The GSSB is now reviewing comments as per the GSSB Due Process Protocol. The final Standard is expected to be approved in Q4 2023. 

Other extractives Standards available:

Launched in 2022, the Sector Standard for Coal - GRI 12: Coal Sector 2022 - encompasses reporting across a broad value chain, applying to all organizations involved in coal mining, exploration, processing, transport and storage.

Sector Standard for Oil and Gas - GRI 11: Oil and Gas 2021 - applies to any organization involved in oil and gas exploration, production, storage, transportation, or refining, including those that supply equipment and services to oil fields and offshore platforms.

Project overview

Q2 - Q4 2021
Project commencement
Q3 – Q4 2021
Appointment of the Mining Working Group.
Q1 - Q4 2022
Development of exposure draft
Q1 - Q2 2023
Public comment period
Q2 - Q3 2023
Consideration of public feedback and revision
Q4 2023
Release of final Sector Standard (expected)

News items

View all news and updates

Digging deeper in the draft Mining Standard

24 Apr 2023

Proposed new topics include disclosure on artisanal mining, and conflict zones

Read more

A social license to operate? Achieving transparency for mining impacts

29 Mar 2023

Medium article by Noora Puro, Sector Standards Manager

Read more

Unearthing the truth about mining impacts

07 Feb 2023

Consultation underway on new standard for mining sector

Read more

Progress on sustainability standard for mining

18 Jan 2022

Multi-stakeholder group to develop new Sector Standard

Read more

Sustainability impacts standard for mining under development

16 Sep 2021

Project commenced to create the latest GRI Sector Standard

Read more

Related documents

GRI Sector Program Mining exposure draft file 03 Feb 2023 English 2.3 MB
GRI Sector Standard Project for Mining FAQs file 07 Feb 2023 English 134 KB
GRI Sector Program Description file 07 Feb 2019 English 449 KB
GSSB Work Program 2020-2022 file 01 Dec 2020 English 221 KB
GRI Sector Standards Project for Mining – Project proposal file 25 Aug 2021 English 184 KB
GRI Sector Standards Project for Mining – Working group terms of reference file 25 Aug 2021 All 194 KB

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