Copper Mark for BHP’s Olympic Dam, Spence and Escondida

(Posted on 30/11/21)

BHP’s Chilean operations Escondida and Spence, and Olympic Dam in Australia, have been awarded the Copper Mark recognising responsible production practices after an independent assurance process.

The Copper Mark is an assurance framework specific to the copper industry, developed to ensure that value chain participants demonstrate best practice in responsible production and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Copper Mark is a voluntary program that independently assesses participants in 32 critical areas including environment, community, human rights and governance issues for mining, smelting and refining operations.

The Copper Mark uses the Risk Readiness Assessment (RRA) of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and the Joint Due Diligence Standard for Copper, Lead, Nickel and Zinc, as the basis for evaluating participants’ performance.

BHP submitted Letters of Commitment for Escondida, Spence and Olympic Dam to the Copper Mark Responsible Production Framework on 31 October 2020. The Copper Mark was awarded to Olympic Dam on 21 September 2021, while Spence and Escondida were each awarded theirs on 2 November 2021.

BHP’s Group Sales and Marketing Officer, Michiel Hovers, said: “Long-term sustainability credentials are important to our customers and increasingly important to end consumers of copper products, such as buyers of electric vehicles and copper intensive consumer durables.”

BHP’s Mineral Americas President, Rag Udd, said: “Copper Mark is a step forward in developing an industry-wide approach to transparency and standards for the copper value chain and reinforces the value BHP places on responsible, sustainable production.

“Copper is a future-facing commodity and our operations have an important role to play in providing high quality and sustainable copper that is essential to the energy transition. Escondida, the largest copper producer in the world, operates 100% with desalinated water and, along with Spence, is aiming to achieve 100 per cent renewable power by the mid-2020s.

It is important to our customers, investors, employees, communities and governments to ascertain the ethical and sustainable production of copper along the value chain,” he added.

“These commitments and action on sustainability will be a competitive advantage for copper, for Chile and for our customers. We have set a target to reduce our operational greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30 per cent from FY2020 levels by FY2030 and BHP recently announced a goal to pursue net zero Scope 3 emissions by 2050[1],” Mr Udd said.

“We are thrilled that Olympic Dam is the first site in Australia to be awarded the Copper Mark,” BHP Olympic Dam Asset President, Jennifer Purdie, said.

“Olympic Dam is a multi-generational ore body and one of the world’s most significant deposits of copper, gold, silver and uranium. The Copper Mark accreditation provides an industry-wide approach to transparency and sustainability in the copper value chain and provides our customers with confidence in the copper they purchase. Award of the Copper Mark will help us to keep sustainably delivering jobs, investment and economic and social value,” Ms Purdie added.

Latest News

Bauxite and aluminium businesses deliver stable Rio Tinto results

Bauxite production of 13.4 million tonnes was 11% higher than the first quarter of 2023 for Rio Tinto... Read more

Rio Tinto spends more than A$16.1 billion with Australian suppliers

Rio Tinto increased its spend with suppliers and local businesses in Australia to more than A$16.1 billion... Read more

Cargill increases its renewable energy capacity by more than 40%

Cargill has reported increasing its contracted renewable energy capacity by 42% after signing five new... Read more

Agreement to set up KEZAD steel recycling and production facility

The UAE’s largest operator of integrated and purpose-built economic zones, Khalifa Economic Zones... Read more

Senate legislation includes phosphate and potash as critical minerals

The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) has praised the U.S. Senate for introducing bipartisan legislation to... Read more

Agribusiness expert’s legacy and optimism for GrainCorp’s future

Farmer, Company Director and long-standing member of the GrainCorp Board of Directors, Dan Mangelsdorf... Read more

Research offers Rotterdam guidelines for raw material transition

Different product processes, non-fossil raw materials and rare materials are crucial for a CO2-neutral... Read more

Bunge Chevron Ag Renewables to build Louisiana processing plant

Bunge and Chevron have announced approval of a final investment decision for their joint venture Bunge... Read more

Funding to decarbonise iron ore processing in Labrador West

The Government of Canada HAS awarded C$18.1 million from its Low Carbon Economy Fund to Rio Tinto&rsquo... Read more

Australia’s biggest renewables deal to repower Gladstone aluminium operations

Rio Tinto has signed Australia’s largest renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) to date to supply... Read more