New guidelines help mine operators to accurately gauge their Scope 3 emissions and work towards reduction
The International Council on Mining (ICMM) has published its Scope 3 Emissions Accounting and Reporting Guidance that provides a standardised framework for mining and metals companies to calculate and disclose their value chain emissions. It aims to improve transparency and accelerate collaborative action with suppliers and customers on reducing these emissions.
“The goals of the Paris Agreement will not be met without the metals and minerals needed for renewable energy technologies, but the production of these minerals and metals is not without their own climate footprint,” says Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO, ICMM, which is headquartered in London. “Since all action on Scope 3 emissions depends on good quality calculations and reporting, this needs special focus for the mining and metals industry.
“ICMM members – who represent one third of the industry – have embraced their role in supporting customers and suppliers with their own efforts to decarbonise. But while transparency and action begin with us, the urgent progress required will need collaboration at a scale we’ve never seen before. We hope that ICMM’s Scope 3 Emissions Accounting and Reporting Guidance drives partnerships that can significantly reduce value chain emissions in line with global climate goals.”
The Guidance is based on the most widely used standard for accounting and reporting corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally – the GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) – and tailored to the unique characteristics of the mining and metals industry.
Scope 3 emissions represent 75% of the emissions profile of a company on average – which can extend to 95% for mining and metals companies depending on their commodity portfolio.
As minerals and metals are the foundation of so many industries, this creates a particularly complex profile of Scope 3 emissions for the mining and metals sector, with significant variance across commodities and geographies. The Guidance helps companies to understand their unique emissions profiles and identify ‘hotspots’ where they can target efforts in partnership with suppliers and customers to achieve meaningful emission reductions.
The new Guidance sets clear parameters for calculating emissions across the 15 categories of Scope 3 emissions in the GHG Protocol, and supports companies in applying the Protocol’s principles of Relevance, Completeness, Transparency, Accuracy and Consistency.
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