PRIZMA

The Office of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Counsellor launched consultations on its new dispute-resolution mechanism. Will this - and the role of the CSR Councellor more generally - make the controversial Bill C-300 obsolete? (more...)

In May 2010, the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) office of IFC/MIGA released its Review of IFC’s Policy and Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability and Policy on Disclosure of Information. This CAO Advisory Note is a contribution to IFC’s ongoing review and update of its Sustainability Framework about which I blogged previously. (more...)

As noted earlier, GRI and ICMM launched the new GRI Metals and Mining Sector Supplement during the annual mining convention of PDAC in early March 2010. The new Sector Supplement integrated many references to the IFC Performance Standards and suggests increasing convergence amongst these internationally recognized guidelines. (more...)

The IFC Performance Standards require that projects with potentially significant impacts conduct ‘Free, Prior, Informed Consultation’ (FPIC) and demonstrate ‘Broad Community Support’ (BCS). Will these requirements move towards the concept of ‘Consent’ particularly in the context of Indigenous Peoples? (more...)

On March 6, 2010, the Canadian CSR Councilor, Marketa Evans, delivered her key note speech on 21^st Century CSR at the Mining, People and Environment event which preceded the Prospector & Developer Association of Canada’s (PDAC) convention in Toronto. Her comments provided some food for thought and raised interesting discussions. (more...)

The Toronto Stock Exchange is a world leader in the resources sector and home to 55% of the world’s public mining companies. I was wondering how many of these public firms produce formal CSR and/or GRI-type sustainability reports? (more...)

The IFC Performance Standards on Social & Environmental Sustainability have emerged as the de facto benchmark for developing and financing responsible extractive projects in emerging markets. The Canadian government’s March 2009 CSR Strategy for the Canadian International Extractive Sector, Building the Canadian Advantage, also includes the IFC Performance Standards. In this article, I review the genesis, significance and key challenges associated with the IFC Performance Standards, using also input from participants of over 20 workshops and training courses delivered in Canada, China, Panama, Peru, UK and Venezuela since 2006. (more...)

Clear lines in the sand about CSR Bill C-300 targeting Canadian extractive companies operating abroad: mining advocacy NGOs are in favor and industry  is opposed. But what are administrative implications in terms of possible case load emerging from adoption of this Bill? (more...)

Used to more user friendly disclosure practices of multilateral financial institutions like the IFC or the EBRD, advocacy groups lament lack of deal transparency by Equator Banks. Although there is room for improvement, I wonder if the existing market transparency is already being leveraged enough. (more...)

Canadian CSR Centre for Extractive Sector Launched

The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM)  is tasked with spearheading the development of the Centre for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility, which was launched today. Will it be able to transcend beyond a one‐stop‐web-shop with the latest information on CSR?  (more...)