- Report year:2025
- Report author: Madison Weaver, Glenn Keays, Kris McCaig, Simon Chorley, Taylor Dillon, Lindsey Bungartz, Andrew Mathewson, Philip Jakob
- Organisation: Environmental Resources Management, Inc.
The Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) is a collaboration to create a single, global responsible mining standard by consolidating the principles of four existing standards: The Copper Mark, ICMM, Mining Association of Canada (TSM), and World Gold Council (Responsible Gold Mining Principles). The goal is to simplify the landscape for companies, enhance consistency, and promote continuous improvement in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices across the industry. The initiative has undergone public consultations and is moving towards a final launch in the first half of 2026, following the appointment of an independent board.
Key aspects of the CMSI and consultation report
Consolidation: The project aims to merge the requirements and best practices from four different standards into one unified global standard.
Simplification: A major driver is to reduce complexity for mining companies of all sizes and commodities by creating a single, streamlined set of rules and guidelines.
Stakeholder engagement: The project involves input from a wide range of stakeholders, including industry groups, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples, and governments, through a multi-round public consultation process.
Consultation report: The first public consultation, which ran in late 2024, gathered almost 4,700 comments from 192 stakeholders across 25 countries. A report summarizing this feedback was published on March 25, 2025.
Final consultation: A second, final public consultation was launched in October 2025, open until November 17, 2025, for the Consolidated Standard, Assurance Process, and Claims Policy.
Governance: The initiative established a new governance model with an independent, multi-stakeholder board to oversee the final standard and ensure its long-term success.
Timeline: The partners expect to appoint the independent board and launch the final Consolidated Standard in the first half of 2026.
Key aspects of the CMSI and consultation report
Consolidation: The project aims to merge the requirements and best practices from four different standards into one unified global standard.
Simplification: A major driver is to reduce complexity for mining companies of all sizes and commodities by creating a single, streamlined set of rules and guidelines.
Stakeholder engagement: The project involves input from a wide range of stakeholders, including industry groups, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples, and governments, through a multi-round public consultation process.
Consultation report: The first public consultation, which ran in late 2024, gathered almost 4,700 comments from 192 stakeholders across 25 countries. A report summarizing this feedback was published on March 25, 2025.
Final consultation: A second, final public consultation was launched in October 2025, open until November 17, 2025, for the Consolidated Standard, Assurance Process, and Claims Policy.
Governance: The initiative established a new governance model with an independent, multi-stakeholder board to oversee the final standard and ensure its long-term success.
Timeline: The partners expect to appoint the independent board and launch the final Consolidated Standard in the first half of 2026.