Anglo American PLC's subsidiary, Kumba Iron Ore Limited, has announced that its Sishen and Kolomela mines in South Africa have achieved the IRMA 75 level of performance on the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance's (IRMA) comprehensive mining standard. This reflects Anglo American's commitment to sustainability and transparency in iron ore production. Mpumi Zikalala, Chief Executive of Kumba Iron Ore, expressed pride in the teams' efforts and the progress made in promoting responsible mining practices. The company is dedicated to delivering premium quality iron ore products that reduce carbon emissions in the steel-making process.
Anglo American's Regional Director - Africa and Australia, Themba Mkhwanazi, highlighted that Kumba is the first iron ore producer in Africa to complete the IRMA audit, providing stakeholders with transparent, verifiable, and comparable sustainability practices. The company's digital traceability platform, Valutrax™, allows customers to trace metals and minerals through a tailored selection of key provenance and sustainability indicators, including third-party assurance such as IRMA. The IRMA results demonstrate progress on Anglo American's Sustainable Mining Plan commitment to have all operations undergo third-party audits against responsible mine certification standards by 2025.
Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director of IRMA, emphasized that detailed IRMA audit reports provide valuable information for mining companies, communities, and companies purchasing mined materials to evaluate environmental and social performance. The IRMA scoring system recognizes four levels of performance: IRMA Transparency, IRMA 50, IRMA 75, and IRMA 100, signifying the extent to which a mine meets the requirements in the Standard for Responsible Mining.
The Standard for Responsible Mining, developed over a decade through a public consultation process, is considered one of the most rigorous certification processes. The link to the assessment of Kumba's mines can be found on IRMA's website. The release of the IRMA reports for Kolomela and Sishen builds on those already completed for other Anglo American operations, including iron ore, nickel, and platinum group metals.
For further information, Anglo American provided contact details for media and investors. The company is a leading global mining company, producing copper, nickel, platinum group metals, diamonds (through De Beers), and premium quality iron ore and steelmaking coal. With a focus on sustainability and innovation, Anglo American aims to meet the growing demands for responsibly sourced materials in a safe and sustainable manner.