THE world’s largest mining companies had made improvements in tackling corruption and limiting the impact of their operations on climate change, but they were lacking in other areas, said Reuters which cited Hélène Piaget, CEO of the Responsible Mining Foundation.
The Responsible Mining Foundation said in its first review of global mining practices – The Responsible Mining Index – said that little action had been taken in monitoring how mining affects children and protecting female workers from harassment and sexual exploitation.
Piaget said the results showed many companies had introduced responsible mining policies but these were not always “translated into effective actions”. Launched in Geneva on April 11, the index assesses the policies and practices of 30 large companies that produce 25% of mined commodities, from gold to copper and coal, operating in more than 40 countries.
