Prizma

The report of the European Bank’s (EBRD) November 2009 workshop on Environmental and Social Responsibility in Mining in London is now available. The event helped inform EBRD’s preparation of its planned Mining Strategy (expected in 2010) and touched also on Artisanal and Small Scale Mining (ASM).  (more…)

An extractive company (mining ‘unobtainium’), a botched resettlement program and heavy-handed interventions by security forces provide the backdrop in the SciFi movie “Avatar” played out on the fictional planet of Pandora. What lessons can this movie provide about IFC Performance Standards relating to Land Acquisition & Involuntary Resettlement for extractive projects here on Earth? (more…)

The Guide to Human Rights Impact Assessment and Management (HRIA) was published in pilot form in June 2007. It was developed by the IBLF and the IFC, in collaboration with the UN Global Compact. The Guide provides a methodology for conducting a HRIA.  Today marks the end of the public consultation period to update the ‘road tested’ pilot HRIA Guide. (more…)

During a webinar hosted by the Canadian Institute for Mining & Petroleum (CIM) today, Dr. Marketa Evans, the recently appointed CSR Counsellor for the Canadian extractive sector operating abroad, identified the development of a review mechanism of complaints as an emerging priority. (more…)

During a recent workshop on IFC Performance Standards & Equator Principles I delivered in Lima, Peru, some of our discussions revolved around the concept of Broad Community Support. These conversations took us on an interesting journey making stops at recent headlines about allegation of human rights abuses in the extractive sector in Peru. (more…)

The North American sustainability reporting practice is still lagging behind Europe. As a sustainability reporting course instructor (trained directly by GRI), it has been interesting to observe the discrepancy between GRI’s intent and external perception of certain elements of the GRI framework. (more…)

I recently attended an invitation-only workshop on mining and sustainability hosted by the European Bank (EBRD) in London.  One of the themes developed at that event focused on ‘meaningful public consultation’. (more…)

A recent seminar on IFC Performance Standards and Equator Principles delivered to a team involved in supply chain risk management at the Responsible Sourcing Division of STR raised an interesting discussion: can we expect to see labor and human rights concerns previously associated with, say, textile industry supply chains in China now replicated in the Chinese-run mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)? (more…)

In October 2004, I set up Prizma as a niche ESIA & CSR consulting and training practice. The vision was simple: assisting and coaching those who seek to make their projects more bankable, credible and sustainable. As I am starting this blog, I feel that it may become an extension of and contriubute to my training courses. Participants always come up with thought provoking questions and a diverse range of perspectives. This blog provides a medium to share some of these and other topics with you and invite your opinions. (more…)

Prizma is happy to announce the launch of its new blog.