The importance of this standard

The Mining Sector Standard is the fourth standard developed under the Sector Program. This new program identifies a sector’s most significant impacts and reflects stakeholder expectations for sustainability reporting.

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. 

Project update

Recruitment for Mining Project Working Group members is currently underway. Once appointed, members will contribute their multi-stakeholder expertise to develop the new Mining Sector Standard.

Read the Project Proposal and the Terms of Reference for more information.

About this project

Since 2019, pilot projects to produce the first Sector Standards under the GRI Sector Program - including oil and gas, and coal - have been underway. These Standards are expected to be completed and published in 2021 and 2022.

Mining has been approved by the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB) 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.

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

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