Newsletter: April 2025
One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.
Folks,
I started the month clinging to a mountainside in Patagonia. For fun I should add! As ever with these things, you hope the ascent will bring clarity—and finally, at the top, perspective—as you leave the bustle of modern life behind.
But the real perspective came not at the peak, but down in a pit during a visit to the iconic Los Bronces mine (ironically still some 4,000m above sea level), and later, back in the valley among friends and colleagues at CESCO Week in Santiago. It was in those moments that ICMM’s vision of a world enabled by responsible mining came most clearly into focus for me.
To see Anglo American’s Los Bronces up close is to appreciate the extraordinary progress that our industry is capable of— across technical, environmental, and social issues. There’s innovation in most directions: incremental, yes—but collectively it amounts to real change. From anti-fatigue monitoring in vehicles that makes shared access roads safer, to desalination plants that serve not just the mine, but tens of thousands in the nearby community. These aren’t abstractions—it all stares you in the face. Sometimes, you’ve got to be up close to appreciate the impact.
That impact is being replicated across the globe by our 24 company members. This is unquestionably good, but we need this number to be 25,000—the estimated total number of mining companies globally, operating some 30,000 sites. Rolling out the CSMI is a critical pathway to achieving this goal.
I had a similar sensation listening to students from Adolfo Ibañez University in Santiago sharing their hopes and aspirations for a career in mining. It’s becoming a gratifying tradition during CESCO Week to meet students as they prepare to enter our industry. While the scale of the talent shortage may be easier to see from afar, the solutions are rooted in the passion and energy you feel up close—on campuses like this. It left me wondering: how do we create a buzz for this sector again? How do we make mining engineering compete with data mining and the allure of Big Tech?.
So if there’s a lesson I can take from April’s metaphysical ups and downs, it’s this: clarity doesn’t always come from standing above it all, but from being among it—with others, with your boots in the mud instead of your head in the clouds.
Until next time,
Ro
Features
New ICMM guidance to protect and restore biodiversity
Building a nature-positive future requires collaboration, innovation and accountability. We urge companies across the industry to take the lead... [to] help restore and protect nature for the benefit of all.
ICMM has launched new guidance to help mining and metals companies achieve no net loss—and ultimately strive for net gain—of biodiversity across their operations. With a 73% average decline in global wildlife populations since 1970, nature loss is a critical risk to people, ecosystems and economies.
The guide builds on members’ decades of experience and lessons learned in restoration, rehabilitation, and, more recently, no net loss strategies. It sets out a seven-step process to embed biodiversity actions from project design through to closure. Designed for site teams and corporate professionals alike, it supports companies to assess, mitigate and monitor impacts—while disclosing progress with transparency and credibility.
Explore the free to access guidance at ICMM.com
From awareness to action: Tackling diesel risks underground
World Day for Health and Safety at Work puts a global spotlight on a fundamental truth: no job should come at the cost of someone’s health. In underground mining, that means addressing one of the industry’s most pressing—but too often overlooked—hazards: diesel particulate matter (DPM).
In a blog, published yesterday, ICMM’s Michael Duvenhage and Bryony Clear Hill lay out how our free to access DPM Good Practice Guide can assist companies reduce—and even eliminate—exposure through practical, proven steps like smarter ventilation and cleaner vehicles.
Through ICMM’s Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles initiative, members like Newmont, BHP and Glencore are already leading the way.
Read the blog at ICMM.com
From 24 to 25,000: Turning responsible mining into the global norm
At UNECE Resource Management Week 2025, ICMM’s Ro Dhawan called for a step change in how the world approaches mining’s role in the energy transition.
His message was clear: while ICMM’s 24 members represent a third of the industry by value, over 25,000 mining companies operate globally—most without a common standard for responsible practices. This gap poses real risks to people and planet as demand for minerals surges. But there’s a solution.
We stand on the brink of a once-in-a-generation opportunity—to reshape mining’s future with a consolidated global mining Standard that’s practical, inclusive, and effective for all miners, regardless of size, commodity, or geography.
Read the full speech at ICMM.com
ICMM in the News
ICMM’s Hayley Zipp on mining’s role in a greener future
Speaking to Mining.com.au for Earth Day, ICMM’s Hayley Zipp made the case for mining as both essential and accountable in the race to a low-carbon future.
She challenged the sector to go further—not just to supply the critical minerals needed for clean energy, but to do so in a way that does not harm nature, respects communities, and drives genuine sustainability. Her message: bold, integrated action across environmental and social fronts is non-negotiable.
By prioritising nature conservation and restoration while setting ambitious decarbonisation targets, the industry can support the energy transition while preserving ecosystems.
Read the full article at mining.com.au
Resource nationalism and Africa’s mining future
In a recent Business Day op-ed co-authored with Ronak Gopaldas of Signal Risk, ICMM President and CEO Ro Dhawan warns that the rise of resource nationalism is reshaping Africa’s mining landscape—and not always in ways that support long-term development.
They argue that while fair value from natural resources is a legitimate goal, excessive state control or policy volatility can deter investment, stall growth, and ultimately harm the very communities governments aim to protect.
The piece calls for a reset: one where governments and mining companies work together transparently and constructively to deliver shared benefits—and avoid the pitfalls of short-term thinking.
Africa’s resources sector stands at a pivotal moment, facing a convergence of geopolitical uncertainty, economic pressure and evolving national priorities.
Read the full article at businesslive.co.za/bd/
ICMM and NRGI on the pause in U.S. anti-corruption enforcement
In a joint Op-Ed for Reuters, Ro Dhawan and Suneeta Kaimal, President and CEO of the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), warned that a pause in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)enforcement could hurt mining firms, not help them.
They argue that apart from ethical consideration, the FCPA offered mining companies a very plausible explanation for refusing demands to pay bribes. Now that this tool has been weakened, mining firms could become easier targets for bribery demands.
The implication is clear: in the race for critical minerals, and the clean energy future it supports, bribery is not a guaranteed foot on the accelerator. Often, it’s the brakes.
Read the full article at reuters.com/sustainability/
Connect With Us
CIM Annual Convention
Montreal, Canada • 5 May 2025
ICMM’s CEO, Ro Dhawan, will deliver the opening keynote on innovations in responsible mining in Montreal. You can find more information here.
World Bank Land Conference
Virtual • 5 May 2025
Ro Dhawan will deliver a virtual keynote on mining’s relationship with land and launch ICMM’s new Handbook on Socio-Economic Approaches to Transition. You can find more information here.
OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains
Paris, France • 5 May 2025
ICMM Co-COO, Aidan Davy will participate in a panel and roundtable on securing resilient value chains for sustainable growth and development. You can find more information here.
The Electric Mine
Santiago, Chile • 13 May 2025
Senior manager Dana Cartwright, will speak on a panel exploring how to foster opportunities in the mining industry’s transition to zero-emission vehicles. You can find more information here.
42nd Annual Conference Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Barcelona, Spain • 13–14 May 2025
Ro Dhawan will speak at the event – format (panel or keynote) to be confirmed.
World Circular Economy Forum
São Paulo, Brazil • 15 May 2025
ICMM’s Tabatha Chavezmatus, will speak at an Accelerator Session co-hosted by ICMM and partners, exploring how to maximise the mining sector’s contribution to the energy transition. You can find more information here.
World Sensing Summit
Barcelona, Spain • 21 May 2025
Ro Dhawan will join a panel discussing the future of remote monitoring in the mining sector. You can find more information here.
